Is All Scripture Inspired by GOD?
. . . or has much of it “expired” and become unusable?
This Presentation of Xrayzr Revelations is an essential "overview" of the origins, authorship, purposes, relationships, and relative values of what are commonly known as the “Old Testament” and the “New Testament”.
Please explore my book Hidden Passages, a “Bible” resource unlike any others, which provides an easily read form of traditional Messianic Christian “scriptures” — and more. Also available for your immediate use on this website are the “books of the Bible” in the format used throughout my Xrayzr Revelations Presentations. Discover “hidden passages” that most theologians have missed.
Is It True That “All Scripture Is Inspired By GOD”?
2 TIMOTHY 3:16
3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Did the apostle Paul intend to include that statement as a part of “all scripture”—even though much of the collection of writings which has become known as the “New Testament” was not yet written, and thus was not available to be included as part of the “all scripture” which Paul seems to have said he believed was given by inspiration of GOD?
If it was GOD’s intention that Paul’s statement become the ultimate defining characterization of “all scripture”, and the only “support verse” for the “doctrine” which is known as the “inerrancy” or infallibility of scripture; yet it can be easily proven, by anyone who tries to read “all scripture”, that much scripture is not profitable for doctrine, or for reproof, or for correction, or for instruction in righteousness, or for much of anything else—why should anyone believe that “all”, or any Bible scripture is inspired by GOD?
Why should anyone believe in the “inspired inerrancy” of any copies of traditionally accepted Hebrew scriptures, or copies of Christian scriptures in Greek, that are not profitable for doctrine due to their content, or are in need of correction of errors made by “copyists”, or scribes; or in need of a more accurate translation into another language to become profitable for anything?
Ironically, many of those who feel obligated to believe that all of the verses printed in their favorite Bible are “scriptures inspired by GOD”—especially the “scripture verse” 2 Timothy 3:16—would probably have no difficulty ignoring someone’s questioning of the validity and value of “all scripture” found in the Old Testament. Many Christians barely recognize the Old Testament as the indispensable foundation of all “Christian” doctrine.
What Is “the Bible”?
Most who consider themselves “Christian” would not accept the ancient traditional collection of Hebrew scriptures they know as the “Old Testament” as being “the Bible” in its entirety. Even many religious Jews do not accept the traditional collection of books, sometimes known as the Law, Prophets, and Writings, as being “the Bible”, or “Tanakh” in its entirety.
Some emphasize “the Law”, also known as “the five books of Moses”, or Torah, or “Pentateuch”, while giving varying amounts of credence to the books of “the Prophets” (from which they exclude the book of Daniel), and “the Writings” (such as the Psalms of King David and others), in which they include the book of Daniel.
Some dismiss the book of the “major” prophet Daniel as a “piece of work” written by a pseudo-“Daniel” after the historic events that are presented within the book as true prophecies from the “scripture of truth” and which were intended to provide a framework for understanding the degree to which GOD controls human history— and especially how GOD plans to control it during the End-Time before the appearance of the Messiah, or Christ who will conquer all human kingdoms and establish his own Kingdom of peace and righteousness around the World, centered in Jerusalem.
DANIEL 10:1-14
10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
10:2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
10:3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.
10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel [Tigris];
10:5 Then I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
10:6 His body also was like the beryl [which is better than having a body like a barrel], and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my loveliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
10:10 And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto you, and stand upright: for unto you am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words.
10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael [the Archangel], one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
10:14 Now I am come to make you understand what shall befall your people in the Latter Days: for yet the vision is for many days.
DANIEL 10:20-21
10:20 Then said he, Know you wherefore I come unto you? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
10:21 But I will show you that which is noted in the scripture of truth [which excludes scripture which is not truth]: and there is none that holds with me in these things, but Michael, your prince.
Most Christians cannot imagine “the Bible” as only the Old Testament without the New Testament, which consists of eyewitness reports of those who lived with and spoke with YAHshua of Nazareth who claimed to be the mortal human Son of Man and the supernaturally conceived Son of GOD described in the prophetic book of Daniel and throughout the other books of the Law, Prophets and Writings.
DANIEL 3:24-28
3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of GOD.
3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High GOD, come forth, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came out of the midst of the fire.
3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, and said, Blessed be the GOD of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his Angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own GOD.
DANIEL 7:13-14
7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days [GOD the Unlimited], and they brought him near before Him.
7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Most Christians would probably not be bothered at all if told by some church “authority” that it is acceptable to just ignore the Old Testament as a part of their “Bible”—and many already have, in effect—just as most religious Jews are not bothered by being told they can, or should ignore the “Christian” scriptures as being a part of their “Bible”.
Many Christians know the Old Testament only as a source of “inspirational” Psalms—though many Psalms are just the opposite—or as a source of disconnected children’s “Bible hero” stories for “Sunday school”. In fact most “professing Christians” would probably be willing to see the New Testament “whittled down” to the dozen or so verses that can be put on a “tract”, or a mini “salvation” leaflet—with room to spare.
The First Christian Church was Jewish
For the first twenty years of its existence, after its establishment on Pentecost Day in 30 A.D., the original first century churches of GOD consisted of members who were exclusively Jewish in ethnicity because of the simple fact that YAHshua of Nazareth had instructed his disciples to preach only to those of the House of Israel, just as he had been instructed to do so by GOD.
MATTHEW 10:5-6
10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not:
10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
MATTHEW 15:24
15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
There was no reason for the production of a “New Testament” as long as many of the original eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry were alive and still physically able to travel from church to church to maintain a relatively cohesive Gospel message. The early Jewish/Christian churches defined “scripture” as the traditional Hebrew Law, Prophets, and Writings maintained in varying degrees of completeness in many synagogues.
It is safe to say that most English-speaking Christians who actually believe what Paul’s single, supposedly all-inclusive, definitive “scripture verse” appears to say, also believe that Paul’s understanding of “all scripture” included that very sentence as he was dictating it, and that it would also include every other “scripture” they find in their favorite “English Bible”—whatever form of “English Bible” that may be—not necessarily the “King James Version”.
But the only scripture that was available for study by Greek-reading Christians was the Greek “Septuagint” translation of the Hebrew scriptures—also usually incomplete—which sometimes included apocryphal, or non-authoritative “scriptures”. And such “Septuagint” collections weren’t necessarily any more available or accessible for personal study than Hebrew scrolls.
The Septuagint—Bible of the Writers of the New Testament
The Septuagint, or LXX, referring to “seventy”, had been derived from sometimes fragmented hand-written copies of the many scrolls of Hebrew scriptures which were made available to a “legendary” group of seventy, or seventy-two language scholars in Alexandria, Egypt assigned to create an “official” Greek version of the commonly accepted Hebrew “Bible”—primarily the Pentateuch, or books of Moses, in the mid-200’s B.C.
It is assumed that the Greek “Septuagint” translations included the rest of the accepted Hebrew canon, or officially recognized scrolls of “holy scriptures”, plus some recently produced apocryphal books of “un-official scripture” for use by the ever-growing number of Greek-reading Jews in the eastern Mediterranean population centers—including many of the early Messianic Christians.
2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17
3:14 But continue you in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them;
3:15 And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
3:17 That the man of GOD may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Paul was not referring to “all scripture” in the collective form of “Old and New Testaments” found in the many English Bible translations used in American Sunday schools. Paul was referring to the specific “holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” which were available to Timothy as a child—not a professionally printed “Holy Bible” which included both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
There Were No Jots or Tittles in the Original Hebrew Scriptures
Throughout history, the relatively few Jews who have learned to read Hebrew have had no easy personal access to “Biblical” manuscripts, or “scriptures” written in Hebrew. The very rare and valued hand-printed copies were well protected by synagogue authorities—just as early Catholic Church authorities would attempt to prevent theft, or minimize “wear and tear” of hand-printed copies of Latin translations of their preferred “Bible”, which included the Apocrypha books—leaving most parishioners “at the mercy” of their priests’ interpretations of whatever the priests themselves had been allowed to read, infrequently.
MATTHEW 5:17-18
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
5:18 For truly I say unto you, Until heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, until all [prophecies] be fulfilled.
Some have used YAHshua’s statement that not one “jot or tittle”—the Hebrew equivalent of “the crossing of t’s and dotting of i’s”—ofthe written Law would be missing until Heaven and Earth are transformed after the Last Judgment. He was not referring to GOD supervising and enabling the continued perfection of the hand-copying of the original manuscripts of the Law, Prophets, and Writings. In fact he did not mention the books of the Writings in which the extremely important book of the prophet of Daniel has been traditionally misplaced.
As a matter of fact, “jots” (or, in Greek “iotas”) and “tittles” were not a part of the form of early, or paleo-Hebrew lettering in which most of the original and reproduced scripture manuscripts were written from the time of Moses; throughout the historical periods of the Judges and Kings; and including the writings of many of the prophets. Actually, most of the dozens of prophets of Israel and Judah left no known written records—including YAHshua, himself.
DANIEL 1:1-4
1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
1:2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the House of GOD: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
1:3 And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;
1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
Those chosen, including Daniel, would have demonstrated those qualities by their familiarity with Hebrew scriptures revealing wisdom and science that could be found in no other national libraries. Solomon was famous for his personal research into all manner of knowledge available in his world; and much of his “extra-Biblical” library was apparently available to those who could be trusted with it. Of course, they would have brought all such sources with them.
1 KINGS 10:1-8
10:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
10:2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
10:3 And Solomon told her [answered] all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
10:5 And the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the House of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
10:6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.
10:7 Nevertheless I believed not the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: your wisdom and prosperity exceeds the fame which I heard.
10:8 Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, which stand continually before you, and that hear your wisdom.
DANIEL 2:20-22
2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
2:21 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
2:22 He reveals the deep and secret things: he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
CHRONICLES 36:14-21
36:14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the House of the LORD which He had hallowed in Jerusalem.
36:15 And the LORD GOD of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up early, and sending; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling place:
36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, until there was no remedy.
36:17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
36:18 And all the vessels of the House of GOD, great and small, and the treasures of the House of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.
36:19 And they burnt the House of GOD, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
36:20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
36:21 To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years. [The land remained desolate, and “enjoyed her Sabbaths” for many years after thousands who had been kept in Babylonian exile were allowed to repopulate Jerusalem and to begin repairing the desolation, which took several more years to reach seventy.]
DANIEL 9:1-2
9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
9:2 In the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by books [scriptures transmitted to him from Jeremiah] the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he [the Lord] would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem [different from the desolations of surrounding nations].
JEREMIAH 25:9-12
25:8 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts; Because you have not heard my words,
25:9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the North, says the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.
25:10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of delight, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.
25:11 And this whole land [not just Judea] shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations [around Judea] shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
2 CHRONICLES 36:22-23
36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished [because it had not been accomplished yet], the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
36:23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the Earth has the Lord God of Heaven given me; and he has charged me to build him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people [willing to build it]? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
Seventy years passed from the time of the destruction of the first Jerusalem Temple by the Babylonian army of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., until those who repopulated Jerusalem had finally managed to reconstruct a second Temple. Such as it was; but not nearly what it was before; they were able to consecrate it for use in 516 B.C.
In preparation for the re-establishment of Temple-centered worship, the scribe, and priest Ezra—still in Babylon—produced a “restoration” version of the existing traditional canon of scriptures utilizing ancient scrolls written in the early form of Hebrew—scrolls that had been providentially protected among those Jews selected by GOD—especially Daniel—for an earlier Babylonian exile ten years before the mayhem in Jerusalem during its complete destruction and final “captivity” in 586 BC.
The records about Daniel’s influential work throughout his “blessed” life in Babylon, and his eye-witness accounts of prophetic revelations given to him late in his life, became part of the full authoritative collection of scriptures the priest Ezra would eventually edit and organize into the official “canon” of Hebrew scripture known as the Tanakh, or Law, Prophets, and Writings; or “Old Testatment” by Christians.
Ezra also wrote the historical records of his own pivotal influence in re-establishing an Israelite population in and around the area of Jerusalem, and his re-instatement of the Levitical priesthood ritualism in the first “Second Temple” —the product of a challenging effort to restore the remains of the “glorious” Temple built by Solomon.
The magnificent, megalithic second “Second Temple” was constructed during King Herod’s rule. Though Herod’s rule ended at his death in 4 B.C.; surrounding buildings in the complex continued to be constructed after his death, during most of the human life-time of YAHshua of Nazareth. Nevertheless, almost all of it was dismantled and demolished in 70 A.D.—supposedly because of the Jewish insurrection against Roman rule—but primarily because it was part of a plan of GOD.
Only GOD could have made it possible for humans to build the megalithic complex—which is the real reason YAHshua called the Temple, “my Father’s House”. The largest stone in the Western foundation wall is over forty-four feet long; about ten feet high; and about eleven feet from front to back. It has been estimated to weigh almost six-hundred tons—now. Other megaliths throughout the complex were so finely finished and positioned that the construction could not be replicated today. And no Roman army could have pulled it all apart, supposedly trying to get at melted gold; without supernatural assistance.
JOHN 2:19-21
2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them [at Passover in 28 A.D.], Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this Temple in building, and will you rear it up in three days?
2:21 But he spoke of the “Temple” of his body.
Yet, he was also speaking of the Millennial Temple, now being exhibited in Heaven; seen and described in great detail by Ezekiel; which will be supernaturally “erected” on top of a newly formed towering mountain that will be raised up in place of the “Temple Mount” (which currently has no Temple) west of the Mount of Olives, which will be split into two enormous rounded mounds at the time of Christ’s return, producing a valley through which a river of water will flow eastward toward the Dead Sea which will be “healed” and given new Life.
EZEKIEL 40:2
40:2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel [as it will appear in the Millennial Kingdom of GOD], and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the South.
ZECHARIAH 14:4
14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the East, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the North, and half of it toward the South.
EZEKIEL 47:8-9
47:8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the East country, and go down into the desert, and go into the [Dead] Sea: which being brought forth into the Sea, the waters shall be healed.
47:9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that lives, which moves, anywhere the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come there: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live where the river comes.
MICAH 14:1-3
4:1 But in the Last Days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the House of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the House of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go out of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations far off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The historical “writings” or scriptures of Ezra are known as the book of Ezra, and some say Chronicles. Nehemiah wrote most of the historical book of Nehemiah, although it is combined with Ezra as Ezra-Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible.
The scribe and priest Ezra, himself, introduced the “block style” of Hebrew—strongly influenced by the Babylonian Aramaic alphabet—incorporating “jots and tittles” as an aid to “rightly dividing” the original ambiguous strings of “paleo-Hebrew” characters forming abbreviated words without vowels. It also served the purpose of differentiating his inspired determination of what “books” or scrolls should be included in the Hebrew “Bible”, from what others attempted to add later—primarily books of the “Apocrypha”.
The “Apocrypha” as it appeared in the original King James Version, contained these “books”:
1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Letter of Jeremiah
Prayer of Azariah
Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
MATTHEW 5:17-18
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
5:18 For truly I say unto you, Until heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, until all be fulfilled.
If YAHshua had been referring to perfect preservation by perfect copying of the content of what had originally been written in all of the books of the Law of Moses, and all of the “Prophets” and Writings, only he would have been in a position to determine how perfectly any Earthly copies were in relation to the originals, because only he, in his role as the Angel of the LORD GOD, has ever seen the originals—while they were being created on Earth; and as they continue to exist in a state of perfect atomic preservation in Heaven—as is the original Ark of the Covenant, and the contents it now contains—including the replacement stone tablets of the Law of the Ten Commandments.
REVELATION 11:19
11:19 And the Temple of GOD was opened in Heaven [the literal, master proto-type of the Millennial Temple “seen” and described in great detail by Ezekiel], and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Testament [or Covenant]: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake [in Heaven, an “earthquake” should be called a “Heaven quake”].
Only YAHshua knows what each “jot and tittle” of Ezra’s original post-Babylonian “revised standard version” of the Hebrew Bible was, which was a grand and “inspired” attempt to consolidate and edit the best remaining copies of what was originally written by Moses—especially most of the book of Deuteronomy.
What are known as the other “books of Moses” often appear to contain “unedited” collections of writings and journals from Moses, and others, such as his brother Aaron—who specialized in the emotionless documentation of priestly rules and regulations of interest to few humans other than priests who were supposed to execute them with precision.
Moses wrote with the personal viewpoint of an individual who had communicated with the Angel of the LORD face-to-face on Mount Horeb (Sinai), and throughout a forty year period (referring to him as YAHwh), and was often overwhelmed by what he thought was expected from him.
Although Aaron had apparently acquired possession of the ancient collection of eyewitness reports “handed down” through many centuries from such genealogically related patriarchs as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph; it may be that he never entrusted them to his younger brother Moses, and that Moses may have simply asked the Angel of the LORD, YAHwh, for his personal “eye-witness” versions of what he had read from Aaron’s collection.
Apparently everything available in Moses’ collection of his own journey journals relating to the Exodus and the following forty years; Moses’ transcriptions of what he had heard directly from YAHwh; his older brother Aaron’s ancient collections of “family” history; and Aaron’s mind-numbing renderings of “law codes”, were “thrown together” soon after Aaron’s death, and Moses’ “death” in what appears to be “unedited” assortments of scripture that sometimes make it appear that Moses was disorganized—or worse.
Moses was a very organized writer, even at one hundred twenty years of age, as seen in the book of Deuteronomy, his final effort to provide guidance for the new post-Exodus generation of Israel, and those adults who hadn’t been cursed after the Exodus.
DEUTERONOMY 30:1-2
31:1 And Moses went and spoke these words unto all Israel.
31:2 And he said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day. I can no more go out and come in. Also, the Lord has said unto me, You shall not go over this Jordan.
Deuteronomy is Moses’ personal, understandable overview of his forty year leadership of Israel; providing an organized, “stand-alone” presentation of the Ten Covenant Laws of GOD. Deuteronomy restated the statutes, or specific civil rules and regulations that Moses thought they should obey as they were about to be freed from their “prison camp” existence; and an accumulation of judgments, which were “legal precedents” that were mostly opinions based on human interpretations (though a few were from the Lord) of those laws and statutes which were given by the Angel of the LORD, or by other angels—probably Michael and Gabriel.
ACTS 7:53
7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
GALATIANS 3:19
3:19 Wherefore then serves the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
DEUTERONOMY 5:1
5:1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep, and do them.
DEUTERONOMY 12:1
12:1 These are the statutes and judgments, which you shall observe to do in the land, which the Lord God of your fathers gives you to possess it, all the days that you live upon the Earth.
Nevertheless, Moses knew that his final effort to provide legal advice for Israel would undoubtedly be ignored.
DEUTERONOMY 31:24-27
31:24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this Law in a book, until they were finished,
31:25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, saying,
31:26 Take this book of the Law [“Deuteronomy”—not what would become known as the other books containing “the Law of Moses” intended primarily for the generation of Exodus Israelites condemned to die in the wilderness], and put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.
31:27 For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck [resistance to moral precepts]: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?
When Moses was taken away from his position of leadership over Israel, Joshua became a military commander of Israel, compelling the new generation of Israel, raised in the “wilderness” of Kadeshbarnea, to become God-appointed executioners of the idolatrous inhabitants of the existing cities within the “promised land”.
In order to preserve most of the fortified cities and land improvements, the populations were given an undeserved forty year “reprieve” when the “Exodus generation” were denied fulfillment of the Lord’s promises and received “life sentences” of “prison camp” existence under strict, punitive behavior control, with only “bread and water” subsistence.
DEUTERONOMY 2:14-15
2:14 And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord swore unto them.
2:15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.
After the “restraining” influence of Egyptian military control came to an end during the Exodus, the warring populations in the “promised land” became so corrupted in the Lord’s judgment that he ordered them to be killed—men, women, and children—so that the next period of consciousness of each of them would be after their still future individual resurrections to judgment before him, the Lord YAHshua—with full opportunity to understand the simple qualifications for eternal life; as explained in many ways throughout the Presentations of Xrayzr Revelations.
The book of Joshua makes it clear that Joshua was not expected to be an editor of Moses’ works, especially the works other than the book of Deuteronomy which was considered by Joshua to be the “book of the Law of Moses”—and probably only a small portion of what is now known as Deuteronomy. Joshua may never have read everything now known as the five books of “the Law”, or Torah; or Pentateuch (Greek for five books).
JOSHUA 1:7-8
1:7 Only be you strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the Law, which Moses my servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper anywhere you go.
1:8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
JOSHUA 8:31-35
8:31 As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the Law of Moses [Deuteronomy 27:5-7], an altar of whole stones, over which no man has lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.
8:32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
8:33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them opposite to mount Gerizim, and half of them opposite to mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
8:34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the Law.
8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.
Even in Deuteronomy, Moses was not the final editor of what he had written to be his final speech to “all” Israel. The same applied to the ancient collections of eye-witness reports written by Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and others in scripture, preserved and passed along among the family historical records verifying the unbroken genealogical descent, from the first Adam, through David, to the “last Adam”—YAHshua (see Luke 3:22-38).
Any writer who loses absolute control of what he has written—for example, by dying; or by submitting to the demands of traditional book publishers—cannot be blamed for what might be altered by uninspired “editors” who think they are improving the original by “correcting” it. Thus, the “books of Moses” have acquired discernible “contributions” from others through the ages that, if known by Moses, would probably cause him to “roll over in his grave”—if there ever was one.
DEUTERONOMY 34:5-7
34:5 So Moses the servant of the Lord [allegedly] died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.
34:6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite to Bethpeor: but no man knows of his tomb unto this day. [Whoever wrote that thought he knew the general location, and assumed there was a dead body that needed to be buried by the Lord.]
34:7 And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force decreased.
Moses Appears in the Promised Land
LUKE 9:27-31
9:27 But I tell you truthfully, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, until they see the Kingdom of GOD [see three of the chief rulers and kings of the Kingdom of GOD].
9:28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
9:29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and flashing.
9:30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah:
9:31 Who appeared in glory, and spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
JOHN 21:22-23
21:22 Jesus says unto him [Peter], If I will that he [John] tarry until I come, what is that to you? Follow you me.
21:23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple [John] should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry [remain] until I come, what is that to you [Peter]?
YAHshua did not say that some of his disciples would never die and would continue to be physically alive throughout the final stage of his second-coming. He said some of those standing around him—his disciples—would not “taste” of physical death until the final stage of his return.
Elijah, one of the Two Witnesses apparently never died physically and his living “angel" persona can be manifested by GOD at any time, and in any form— the glorious form he will be able to manifest in the Kingdom or Government of GOD—or a continuation of his original human form in which he will finally “taste of death” as a martyr, immediately before the return of Christ. The same applies to John—the second of the Two Witnesses.
REVELATION 11:7-12
11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the Beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great City [Jerusalem], which spiritually is called Sodom, and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
11:9 And they of the people and families and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not allow their dead bodies to be put in graves.
11:10 And they that dwell upon the Earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the Earth.
11:11 And after three days and a half the Spirit of Life from GOD entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
11:12 And they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them, Come up here. And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
John had seen his planned death immediately before the return of Christ in the Revelation vision and knew that he would “taste of death” as a martyr when representatives from the whole World brought together in Jerusalem would be aware of it.
REVELATION 10:11
10:11 And he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many races and tribes, and nations, and tongues, and kings [in Jerusalem, as one of the Two Witnesses].
There is no reason to believe that Moses ever actually died physically at the hands of the Lord; and that the Lord had to bury him. His physical life was suspended, as was Elijah’s, and even that of Peter, as we shall see.
There are a few unverifiable bizarre accounts of the manner in which each of the apostles was allegedly martyred, or murdered—except for John who was supposedly boiled in oil, yet miraculously survived, and later “died peacefully of old age”—un-martyred. Luke records that James, brother of John, was killed by the sword—probably beheaded (as was John “the Baptist”), and that Peter almost suffered the same fate.
ACTS 12:1-3
12:1 Now about that time Herod [Agrippa] the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church.
12:2 And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
12:3 And because he saw it pleased the [roomful of] Jews [who knew about it], he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the Days of Unleavened Bread.)
Though there was no apparent “glorification of GOD” in the death of the high-ranking apostle James (YAHshua’s first cousin), or any known reason it wasn’t prevented, it soon became apparent that YAHshua was not going to allow any of the roomful of Jews calling for the murder of James to glorify Herod Agrippa as a “God”; after the trouble he (YAHshua) had convincing them to glorify “the only true GOD”, as the GOD who had validated his Messianic credentials with miracles.
ACTS 12:21-24
12:21 And upon a set day Herod [Agrippa], arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
12:22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
12:23 And immediately the Angel of the LORD struck him, because he gave not GOD the glory: and he was eaten of worms [maggots], and gave up the spirit.
12:24 But the word of GOD grew and multiplied [because of all of the publicity from James’ murder, and Agrippa’s execution by the Lord].
JOHN 21:18-19
21:18 Truly, truly, I say unto you, When you were young [Peter was probably about forty at the time], you gird yourself, and walked where you would: but when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands, and another shall gird you, and carry you where you would not [be able to travel by your own natural power].
21:19 This spoke he, signifying by what death [”end of life”] he should glorify GOD. And when he had spoken this, he says unto him, Follow me.
Peter, according to unreliable sources, was allegedly crucified upside down, at his own request, in Rome, after becoming the first “Pope”. Somehow, that supposedly “glorified GOD” in fulfillment of YAHshua’s prediction.
REVELATION 11:3
11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
REVELATION 12:13-17
12:13 And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the male child.
12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the Serpent.
12:15 And the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
12:16 And the Earth helped the woman, and the Earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth.
12:17 And the Dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of GOD, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
EXODUS 19:4
19:4 You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
ISAIAH 40:31
40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
During the last four years of the End-Time, Ezekiel, John, Peter, and all of the other original prophets and apostles, and many more first century eye-witness disciples will be given a temporary restoration of their original bodies; looking and acting as if they are fully human—though not entirely—as was YAHshua immediately after his resurrection.
Those individuals will not choose their own clothing, but will be dressed by God in symbolically appropriate “sackcloth” (like “gunny-sack” material, but probably without its “scratchiness”); and they will be carried about “on the wings of Eagles” (accompanied by high-ranking angels) to supervise and confirm the GOD-glorifying messages of innumerable individuals chosen to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD to “all creatures” around planet Earth—and then will the End come. But not before many apostles, and others will finally suffer martyrdom of their specially restored bodies, in circumstances that will be controlled by GOD to prove His power over death.
LUKE 11:49
11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of GOD, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
DANIEL 11:35
11:35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
MATTHEW 24:3
24:3 And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the World?
MATTHEW 24:9
24:9 Then shall they deliver you [disciples] up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. [Their deaths will be seen by representatives of all nations; as will the deaths of Elijah and John—the Two Witnesses.]
MATTHEW 24:14
24:14 And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Critical Mess—Inspecting the Sceptic “Think” Tank
Don’t be deceived by the claims of so-called “JEDP” or “J(Y)ahwist/ Elohist/ Deuteronomist/ Priestly” Bible “scholars” who teach a multi-branched theory that all of the five “books of Moses” were concocted sequentially at different times between 950 and 500 B.C. by four or five, or more “pious”, but lying anonymous “ghostwriters’ claiming to be Moses (who never really existed; so why would anyone pretend to be Moses?), as they wrote four or five, or more contradictory, fictional accounts of World and Israelite history that never happened, for the purpose of creating a previously non-existent form of strict Temple-based religious control over a few “Jews” who began to populate the area of Palestine during the time of the Persian Empire.
Don’t ask “higher” or “lower criticism” scholars who they think were the authors of all of the rest of the “Jewish Bible”, including the historical, prophetic, and other writings. All they know, with absolute certainty, is that nothing in the “Jewish Bible” was written by the persons who claim authorship, such as Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc.; and almost everything in all of the books of the “Jewish Bible” is fiction written “pseudonymously” at some unknown time a few centuries B.C. by a progression of pious liars who were apparently attempting to gradually establish a bogus system of religious control over those naïve enough to believe them.
That kind of blind faith in one’s own opinion of “all scripture” is similar to those at the opposite end of the blind faith spectrum who believe that every verse in their English Bible is inspired truth, including the lengthy passages of confusing and incomprehensible symbolism found in “the Prophets”; and the frequently rambling, depressing, self-psychoanalysis of the originators of “the Writings”—such as many of King David’s Psalms, and King Solomon’s memoirs and ruminations.
Of course, it is not difficult to believe that a few notable humans have been involved in the establishment of bogus systems of religious control over those naïve enough to believe them; and that it has happened more than once in human history. But the “JEDP” theory attempts to demolish all reason to believe in the truth and credibility of most Hebrew and Christian scripture.
This Presentation is not attempting to destroy faith in most of what is known as traditional Hebrew and Christian scripture. It is only suggesting that “all scripture” should be viewed with a realization that “scripture”, as most of us know it, is far from perfect, and may include a considerable amount of useless “filler” that is not profitable for doctrine, or anything else.
2 TIMOTHY 2:15
2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto GOD, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Many Copies of the Law, The Prophets, and The Writings Have Been Destroyed
Over one thousand years ago, Jewish Talmudic-Masoretes—rabbinic, scribe-scholars living in the areas of Israel and Babylonia many centuries after the establishment of Christianity—began to “standardize” the traditional Hebrew canon of scripture. Their legacy seems to have included the “disappearance” of Hebrew scrolls and manuscript fragments earlier than that period, making it easier for them to claim that GOD had insured “perfect” transmission of the Hebrew Bible through the ages.
However, there are numerous differences and discrepancies between the standardized Masoretic Hebrew texts and remains of early Septuagint copies—the Greek translations of ancient Hebrew scripture that began to be available in the mid-200’s B.C.—approximately.
Defenders of the correctness and integrity of the Masoretic text, based on no longer available source documents that “disappeared”, claim that questionable areas in Septuagint versions must always be incorrect, or “corrupted” if they conflict with the apparent “consistency” of the Masoretic text. Yet it is well known that the writers of the New Testament utilized the Greek Septuagint of the first century A.D. as the primary source for scripture references supporting the doctrines of Messianic Christianity.
Nevertheless, the discovery of the “Dead Sea scrolls” in 1946—in spite of those “scholars” who have minimized public access—has provided evidence that supports the over-all correctness of the Masoretic “restoration” and its reliability as a commendable representation of the inspired restoration and editing efforts of Ezra after the return of many thousands of Jews to Israel after the Babylonian exile had ended.
MATTHEW 5:17-18
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
5:18 For truly I say unto you, Until heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, until all [prophecy] be fulfilled.
YAHshua was not saying that every jot and tittle on every post-Ezra Hebrew copy of the Law, and the Prophets was perfectly preserved. He obviously was not claiming to have personally compared the originals in Heaven with everything that was available as hand-copied Hebrew “scripture” during his human lifetime. No one would have had any reason to believe him.
YAHshua was saying that he had come to begin fulfilling every figurative “jot and tittle” of revelation about himself found throughout Hebrew scripture—and Christian scripture. And none of those revelations, predictions, and promises will be “destroyed”, or removed from scripture until every one has been fulfilled by him, as he defines “fulfillment”. Not even the prophecies of the Revelation given to John, that currently appear to be full of failed, or false prophecy.
REVELATION 22:16-19
22:16 I Jesus [the Angel of the LORD GOD, the Father] have sent my “angel” [Jesus’ own vision “angel presence”] to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
22:17 And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely.
22:18 For I [the Angel of the LORD] testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, GOD shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, GOD shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book.
22:20 He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly.
Amen—even so, come, Lord Jesus.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:24-28
15:24 Then comes the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to GOD, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
15:25 For he must reign, until he has put all enemies under his feet.
15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
15:27 For He has put all things under his feet. But when He says all things are put under him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under him.
15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him, that GOD may be all in all.
REVELATION 21:1-4
21:1 And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth: for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away; and there was no more Sea.
21:2 And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from GOD out of Heaven, prepared as a “bride” adorned for her husband.
21:3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of GOD is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and GOD himself shall be with them, and be their GOD.
21:4 And GOD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
GOD Doesn’t Care If Anybody Reads the Scriptures
It has never been important to GOD that there would exist on Earth only perfect copies of whatever has been considered “all scripture” at any time in human history. Most humans have never heard of any of the scripture contained in the progressive accumulation of historical and “spiritual” writings some consider to be “all scripture” today.
In due time, during future personalized judgments, GOD will supernaturally reveal whatever amount of truth is necessary to provide a basis upon which each and every human can make a personal decision to accept it or not. It will not be necessary for anyone to have read “all scripture”, or even a single scripture in any so-called “Bible” in order to be eternally “saved”.
1 TIMOTHY 2:3-6
2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of GOD our Savior;
2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of “the Truth” [not by the “works” or efforts of any human missionaries].
2:5 For there is one GOD, and one mediator between GOD and men, the man Christ Jesus;
2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
JOHN 14:6
14:6 Jesus says unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father, but by me.
Knowledge of the truth about the way to qualify for spirit salvation will not enter most human minds by the reading of words in a Bible—sometimes inappropriately called the “word of GOD”. YAHshua said that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and in his position as the “Word” (Logos), or primary spokesman of the LORD GOD, he will be the one providing “knowledge of the Truth” (knowledge about himself), which will allow “all men to be saved” by GOD (the Ultimate Savior)—in due time.
Few “Jews” who saw and heard YAHshua during his lifetime, had the ability, the opportunity, or the desire to read their traditional scriptures—whether in Hebrew or Greek—because the most common language of “Israel”, and YAHshua, at the time, was Aramaic (with many regional dialects), which is related to Hebrew; in somewhat the same manner that “Old English” is related to “American English”; or Latin is related to Mexican Spanish.
As it has been through most of human history, very few have any desire to study “the Scriptures” no matter how easy it might be to acquire personal, or accessible copies in one’s preferred, or only language. If all Christians of today were required to become literate in “ancient” Greek in order to read “all scripture” in a Greek “Septuagint” version of the Old Testament, and “the rest of all scripture” in a Greek version of the New Testament—though some of that was originally written or transcribed from dictation in Aramaic—most Christians would never bother to read a single scripture.
Some believe that all of the New Testament manuscripts were written originally in Greek—though it is more likely that some were written originally in Aramaic, and then translated into Greek, the preferred literary language in the Mediterranean “World” at the time. Or in the case of Paul’s book of “Hebrews”, written originally in Hebrew to the “target” audience in the Jerusalem church who could read Hebrew; and later translated into Greek, by Luke, or one of the professional Christian scribes, for continuing publication and distribution after the great dispersion of Hebrew-speaking Jews from Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
It may be that the theological components of other epistles were dictated by Paul in Hebrew; the language he used throughout his “advanced” theological education “at the feet of Gamaliel”. Apparently Paul was more impressed by Gamaliel’s “perfect” theology in regard to Jewish law than others who mention him.
ACTS 22:1-3
22:1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear you my defense which I make now unto you.
22:2 (And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he says,)
22:3 I am truly a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward GOD, as you all are this day.
Whatever the original language of any manuscript of “scripture”, only a copy in the same language could be a perfect replication of the original. And only those who had an opportunity to read such impossibly “perfect” replications of the original would ever have an opportunity to understand exactly what the original said. Everyone else would have to choose to believe, or not believe, someone who had read “the scripture” in its original language; whether Hebrew, or Greek, or Aramaic; and was able to make an attempt to explain it to them verbally in their preferred language.
But if all of those who claim they are able to understand the original manuscript language when they read it cannot agree that what they read says the same thing as what anyone else reads, what difference does it make how perfectly the “original language manuscript” has been copied and re-copied numerous times through the centuries? If GOD has made any effort to perfect the copying, translating, and transmission of any scriptures through the ages, it cannot be proven by any consistency in the understanding or interpretation of what scripture appears to say—in any language.
There has always been doctrinal confusion and disagreement among churches that claim to be Christian, and also among “churches” or synagogues that claim to represent “Judaism”—including all of the original Jewish Messianic/Christian Churches of GOD which still had access to those few teachers who were writing what would become known as the New Testament.
The cause of doctrinal confusion is not the degree of “perfection” in the copying of original “scripture” manuscripts. None of them have been perfectly preserved by GOD through the ages. It wouldn’t have mattered if they were. Even when the original New Testament manuscripts were still available, and the writers of those manuscripts were still able to explain in person what they had written, the churches were full of disagreements over how basic Christian doctrine was supposed to be defined.
The primary purpose of much of Paul’s writing was to reduce the level of confusion that was growing among Christian churches which were led by teachers who, themselves, did not have a clear grasp of the connection between the events, actions, and teachings of YAHshua of Nazareth and the prophetic symbolism found throughout traditional Hebrew scriptures.
Because of Paul’s early extensive theological education; which was provided by the administrators of the Temple Priesthood; he was the only Christian teacher with full awareness of the ancient prophetic and scriptural basis of what was being progressively revealed as advanced Christian doctrine—the revelation of GOD’s master plan for the spiritual salvation of virtually all humans who have ever been born—Israelite and non-Israelite—the master plan known as “the mystery”.
ROMANS 11:25-29
11:25 For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
11:26 And so, all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
11:28 As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as concerning the [Messianic] election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
11:29 For the gifts and calling of GOD are without repentance [nothing will ever cause GOD to change His mind about saving “all Israel”].
EPHESIANS 3:1-9
3:1 For this cause I Paul, am the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
3:2 If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of GOD which is given me toward you:
3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote before in few words,
3:4 Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
3:6 That the Gentiles should be joint heirs [along with “all Israel”], and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel:
3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of GOD given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the World has been hid in GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Ironically, however, because no one else had Paul’s comprehensive background in the content of traditional Hebrew scriptures, most Messianic believers had very little comprehension of what Paul was talking and writing about in his effort to explain what he alone was capable of understanding.
Paul wrote the “book of Hebrews” primarily for the devoutly Jewish membership of the churches of GOD in and around Jerusalem in an effort to move their doctrinal understanding away from a ritualistic Temple-based physical approach and toward a non-ritualistic spiritual approach that required no physical Temple or oppressive human priesthood for determination or enforcement of behavioral guidelines.
ACTS 21:17-20
21:17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
21:18 And the day following, Paul went in with us unto James [YAHshua’s brother]; and all the elders were present.
21:19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things GOD had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the Law:
ACTS 15:5-6
15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.
15:6 And the apostles and elders came together in order to consider of this matter.
ACTS 23:9
23:9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against GOD.
The transformation from external Temple-centered religious worship to internal spiritual worship was predicted by YAHshua; even though he was still trying to restrict his ministry to “Jews”. But it was not actually practiced until after 50 A.D. (twenty years from the beginning of the Christian Church of GOD), when Gentiles were finally allowed to be considered equal to Jewish Christians.
And it wasn’t a smooth transition. In fact it was much like the rough transition from Old Covenant “Judaism” to Messianic Christianity—because “the Way” was being obstructed by the same ritualistic religionists (Pharisees) who didn’t want to give up any of their tyrannical supremacist power.
JOHN 4:19-26
4:19 The woman says unto him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain [Gerizim]; and you say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
4:21 Jesus says unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
4:22 You worship you know not what; we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews.
4:23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.
4:24 GOD is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
4:25 The woman says unto him, I know that Messiah comes, which is called Christ: and when he has come, he will tell us all things.
4:26 Jesus says unto her, I that speak unto you am he.
ACTS 15:4-21
15:4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the [headquarters] Church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that GOD had done with them.
15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.
15:6 And the apostles and elders came together in order to consider of this matter.
15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago GOD made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe.
15:8 And GOD, which knows the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us;
15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
15:10 Now therefore why tempt you GOD, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders GOD had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
15:13 And after they had held their peace, James [The oldest brother of YAHshua, who was chief administrator of the Jerusalem headquarters church of GOD], answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
15:14 Peter has declared how GOD at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15:15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, says the Lord, who does all these things.
15:18 Known unto GOD are all his works from the beginning of the World.
15:19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to GOD:
15:20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. [In other words; stay out of idol temples in which sacrificing and prostitution were occurring.]
15:21 For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day [allowing converted Gentiles to learn other useful aspects of the Law of Moses].
Paul, a former Pharisee, had been one of the worst abusers of unauthorized law enforcement based on his own misinterpretation of “all scripture” that he would later understand was given for a different form of “profitability” than the form of “profitability” he used to be able to bring to his Temple associates—the confiscation of “widow’s houses” and other property owned by vulnerable “Christians” he hoped would be “executed” (secretly and illegally murdered) for believing that YAHshua was the Messiah.
MATTHEW 23:14
23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation.
ACTS 8:1-3
8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
8:3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison.
ACTS 9:1-2
9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the High Priest,
9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
The Early Christians Never Read the New Testament
Until more than thirty long years after the Christian Church of GOD was established on Pentecost in 30 AD., it would have been difficult to include what most Christians consider to be the most important part of the Bible—the New Testament—as part of the “all scripture” referred to by Paul, because the Churches of GOD had no awareness of a New Testament or a “need” for a New Testament. Few Christians ever saw the actual writing, or “scripture” on epistles that were being read to them.
COLOSSIANS 4:16
4:16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
Some assume that most of the original Galilean disciples spoke only in a Galilean dialect of Aramaic; and that they may not have been literate and articulate even in that language. What is certain is that none of them were able to quote “chapter and verse” from a New Testament that did not yet exist; and most of them had probably never been allowed to read “all scripture” in Hebrew in a synagogue; or the less available Greek Septuagint collections of the Hebrew scriptures, available in public and private libraries. That does not mean they were uneducated “country bumpkins”.
ACTS 2:7
2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Though some assumed, without proof, that all of the dozens of early disciples were probably illiterate Galileans; that is not supported by the literary evidence left by several. Matthew was, by necessity, multilingual as a qualification for his earlier employment as a “publican”, or tax collecting government contractor. He would have been able to communicate in Aramaic, Greek, and Latin in order to fulfill his responsibilities in collecting taxes from the public, and negotiating contractual obligations with Roman authorities.
John Mark was not one of the original twelve disciples, but was a devoted disciple who was apparently raised in a very large home, indicating some wealth and opportunity for education—which probably included proficiency in Greek, Hebrew, and ability to converse easily in Aramaic with Peter who probably provided most of the contents of the gospel known as “Mark”, as well as two epistles composed by Peter.
ACTS 12:12
12:12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
Luke; also not one of the twelve, but claiming to have been a witnessing disciple from the very first; was probably beginning a career as a physician in the sophisticated city of Sepphoris, about four miles from Nazareth, in which it would have been almost required that he would be fluent in Greek, Aramaic, and probably Latin also. His long and close missionary association with Paul, who claimed to be able to speak in more tongues than anyone—Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Latin, and who knows what else, probably gave Luke considerable opportunity to practice multi-lingual proficiency in speaking and transcribing what Paul dictated—especially when Paul was imprisoned.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:18-19
14:18 I thank my GOD, I speak with “tongues” [languages] more than you all:
14:19 Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown “tongue”.
LUKE 1:1-3
1:1 Forasmuch as many [apostles and disciples] have [already] taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
1:2 Even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
1:3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto you in order, most excellent Theophilus.
John was obviously highly literate as evidenced by his writing; and it is certain his brother James was trained in the same way. In fact, when Mary and Joseph were supplied with considerable wealth in the form of the gift of gold from the Babylonian Jewish “wise men” after returning to Nazareth, and then told that they were to move to Egypt and establish residence there, it is reasonable that Mary’s sister Salome and her husband Zebedee may have accompanied them.
If that is the case, James, John, YAHshua, and probably two of his four brothers, James, the younger, and Jude would have been able to learn Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, and some Latin throughout their childhoods in the advanced educational system of Alexandria, Egypt, until their parents returned to the Galilee area about nine years later when Herod Archelaus was “eliminated” in 6 A.D.
Jude, or Judas (brother of James), YAHshua’s “half”-brother, referred to a scripture in the book of Enoch, associated with the Greek Septuagint, indicating familiarity with the Greek Septuagint and its usefulness as a reliable translation of Hebrew scriptures. That does not, however, imply that Jude believed everything he read in the Septuagint, or the apocryphal books associated with it.
JUDE 1:14-15
1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints,
1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
The writers of the New Testament books were obviously well educated; and it is probable that most of the three thousand converted on the Day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. were influential land and property owners able to spend the time and money to travel the very long distances, taking weeks, for what was a single early-summer Holy Day in Jerusalem. Or most of them had continued to stay in Jerusalem after Passover and the seven Days of Unleavened Bread.
ACTS 4:32-35
4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them [apparently to other wealthy Jews who were in Jerusalem for the Holy Day, but weren’t participating in the Christian “communism”; in its voluntary, “community” sense], and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
ACTS 2:5-11
2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own [native] language.
2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? [apparently judging from the way they looked, since they weren’t being heard in their Galilaean Aramaic dialect]
2:8 And how hear we every man in our own [native] tongue, wherein we were born?
2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of GOD.
Especially during the first weeks of the establishment of the Jerusalem headquarters Church of GOD, natural language barriers were sometimes eliminated by the supernatural phenomenon known as “speaking in tongues”, meaning having one’s normal speaking language perceived by others as if it was being spoken in the native language of the person listening—the whole point of it being the elimination of any need for translation, or interpretation. Genuine “speaking in tongues” has nothing to do with uttering unintelligible and unrecognizable language-like sounds that neither the speaker, nor any listener can understand without supposed “interpretation” in a normal language.
Diagnosing Textual Dysfunction
Though GOD has proven His ability to enable supernatural hearing and understanding of scriptural content in all foreign languages without need of interpretation, the natural learned ability to read “all scripture” in all languages has never insured that any of it would be understood.
So-called “textual critics” and other Bible skeptics are notorious for being spiritually blinded by their own “brilliance” as they attempt to analyze and “analize” every “jot and tittle” of biblical text in Hebrew, and every “iota” in Greek, intent on proving to the World that “all scripture” is nothing but bullsh*t which only they can truly interpret. And lo and behold, occasionally they do prove that some “scripture” isn’t worth the time they have spent dissecting it. Yet, even though they obviously believe they have proved that “all scripture” is a “hot, steaming pile”; they can’t resist buzzing around it like a swarm of clueless flies that don’t really know what they’re getting into.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:14
2:14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
In every living physical body that GOD has created, one can find an accumulation of “material” that needs to be eliminated to maintain the designed integrity of the body. Throughout life, most living creatures are able to quickly distance themselves—with no regrets—from what was a part of their “innermost being” only moments before.
Regrettably, many people consider every single word of their favorite “Bible” to be a “living creation of GOD” that must be honored as being “holy”; and nothing must be eliminated, even when it is obvious that the existence of many passages in the Bible have been used as “justification” for un-Godly attitudes; or have encouraged skeptics to believe that the entire Bible is “un-Godly”—paradoxically.
The Lord Changes Not—Until He Does—or is Required To
MALACHI 3:6
3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob [Israel] are not consumed [though Moses believed the Lord was ready to consume the Exodus generation of Israel from the face of the Earth].
EXODUS 32:9-14
32:9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stubborn people:
32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of you a great nation.
32:11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why does your wrath wax hot against your people, which you have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
32:12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the Earth? Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against your people.
32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel [Jacob], your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
32:14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
HEBREWS 13:8
13:8 Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
JAMES 1:17
1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
The Bible is filled with descriptions of the Angel of the LORD changing his appearance and embodiments; his attitudes toward individuals and nations; and his entire persona when he was divested of his former supernatural glory as the “God of Israel” and was required by GOD the Father to live as a flesh and blood, mortal human for almost thirty-three years; passing through every stage of development, from virtually mindless infancy, to an appropriate level of adult human knowledge and wisdom.
There is no reason to waste time attempting to reconcile every apparent contradiction between verses in the Bible. For example, the scripture seems to have the Lord saying, “I change not” “in any way, shape, or form”. And countless Christians think they are emulating the Lord’s historical consistency in progressing toward his goals, by stubbornly refusing to learn anything new about theological doctrine beyond what they learned in Sunday school. After all, if the King James Bible was good enough for the disciples, why read scripture in anything other than the KJV.
But the very scripture that seems to say, “I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed” leads one to other scripture that says: if the Lord had not changed, or “repented”, thanks to the intercession of Moses, he would have consumed the sons of Jacob, or Israel.
There really isn’t any contradiction. Just give up the unreasonable concept that GOD knows what is going to happen throughout infinity; meaning neither He, nor His Angel, nor any other angels, nor any humans have any free will to change anything because everything has been locked into some kind of eternal inevitability.
Many verses prove that God, in the form of the Angel of the LORD, does not consider everything he originates as being worthy of endless preservation if it has been corrupted, and has become counterproductive—even the entire population of the World, in the days of Noah.
GENESIS 6:5-7
6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6:6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
6:7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them.
In his last message to “Jewish” Israel about four hundred years before being transformed into the mortal human YAHshua, by the LORD GOD, in order to fulfill all of the “Son of Man” prophecies; the Angel of the Lord was once again ready to destroy the “Earth”.
MALACHI 4:1-6
4:1 For, behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yes, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
4:3 And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts.
4:4 Remember you the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb [Sinai] for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the Earth with a curse.
MALACHI 2:1-8
2:1 And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you.
2:2 If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart.
2:3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
2:4 And you shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, says the Lord of hosts.
2:5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.
2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
2:8 But you are departed out of the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.
ISAIAH 1:10-17
1:10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of “Sodom” [Jerusalem—see Revelation 1:8]; give ear unto the law of our God, you people of “Gomorrah”.
1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? says the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
1:12 When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot [tolerate them]; away with [them]; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
1:15 And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil;
1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Sadly, some so-called national “leaders” continue to attempt to de-fund every form of social aid for “the oppressed, the fatherless, and the widow” so they will have more “national debt money” to allocate to bloody wars of aggression that often produce fatherless children, and widows, both here, and “over there”. And many families are “fatherless”, and the wife is a “widow” because the “man of the house” has been persuaded that he can protect his family better, half way around the World.
Only Believe—Even if you Don’t Know What you are “Believing”
Some Christian church associations have established a “simple” test that supposedly determines the validity of one’s faith in GOD as they present Him. They expect agreement with their unquestioned “doctrine” that “all scripture is given by inspiration of GOD”, meaning that a member must agree that whatever has been included as a scripture verse, in whatever Bible is favored by such a church group, it must be considered true, whether it makes any sense in the real World—or not.
Can one be considered wise, or even minimally aware of the reality of what is in the Bible if one agrees to blindly accept the premise that every scripture verse printed in a “Holy Bible” is inspired truth from GOD, and agrees to “honorize” each and every scripture verse by believing, without any analysis or evidence, that they are profitable for doctrine and moral guidance?
What we call individual “scriptures”, or numbered “verses” of a “chapter” of a “book of the “Bible” were not imagined as separate entities when it was originally written, or scripted, or inscribed, or scribbled with pen and ink on “papyrus”, or “paper”, made from the dried internal pith of a papyrus plant; or parchment or vellum made from a dried layer of the hide of an animal; often a sheepskin—not to be confused with natural “lambskins” which are prophylactic condoms made from a section of the intestinal wall of a lamb—an ancient practice.
How do you suppose someone came up with a “connection” like that? Perhaps someone watching animals copulate and relating it to human sex. Or someone watching humans copulate and relating it to animal sex, as in the following verses.
EZEKIEL 23:1-8
23:1 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
23:2 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
23:3 And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
23:4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine [the Lord’s “wives”, or “collective wife”—don’t follow the Lord’s example of how to pick “wives”], and they bore sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria [the House of Israel] is Aholah, and Jerusalem [the House of Judah] Aholibah.
23:5 And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,
23:6 Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
23:7 Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
23:8 Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
EZEKIEL 23:13-21
23:13 Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way,
23:14 And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion,
23:15 Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:
23:16 And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.
23:17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of “love”, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.
23:18 So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her [the House of Judah], like my mind was alienated from her sister [the House of Israel].
23:19 Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
23:20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
23:21 Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth, in bruising your teats by the Egyptians for the breasts of your youth.
You probably didn’t hear that taught in Sunday school. Why not? Isn’t every scripture profitable for doctrine, and so on and so forth. Or is it profitable for adults only? Such graphic (or pornographic) passages weren’t so easily found before “all scripture” was divided into almost 1,200 chapters, and over 31,000 individual “scripture verses”.
After many attempts to reasonably divide the continuous streams of Hebrew and Greek lettering used throughout centuries of copying; finally in the mid-1500’s A.D., the system of chapters, and verses seen in today’s Bibles was published in the elaborate English Geneva Bible a few decades before the “King James Version” utilized them. The system of chapters and verses in “Jewish” Bibles is very similar to what became a standard for “Old and New Testament” references.
The “rough drafts” and original manuscripts, or manually inscribed or handwritten transcriptions of what purport to be direct dictation from the Lord God of Israel, are not available to humans. They have not, however, forever disintegrated beyond all reconstruction, since they have been atomically preserved by GOD in His Spirit and are available for atomic replication for any future purpose, including validation of YAHshua’s assertion that not one jot, tittle, or even atom will be missing from any future manifestation of the original manuscripts, if and when it is profitable for the Spirit of GOD to reproduce them for inspection and interpretation of what they really said originally.
If, as some believe, GOD has made a continuing historical effort to “perfectly” and “inerrantly” preserve every word and nuance of meaning of the original manuscripts so that there will be no doubt about their original meaning, it means that the true originals were just as incomprehensible and useless as much of the supposedly “inerrant” copies of the “originals” appear to be.
In other words, if any of the “Bibles” we have today is an inerrant version of the original manuscripts, without having been translated into a different language; or if any of the translated “Bibles” we have today are perfect, inerrant translations of the original manuscript languages—for example Greek into English—that would mean that every one of the multitude of problematic scripture wordings and countless baffling ambiguities of meaning, were the best GOD could do in His effort to “inspire” their original creation. That’s not a very inspiring image of GOD’s capabilities!
Obviously, it has never been important in GOD’s mind that “all scripture” be accepted by anybody as inspired by Him. It cannot be important to GOD that all humans “understand” even the handful of verses printed on most “salvation tracts”, since he has never provided even those few verses to more than a small minority of all humans throughout history.
And 99.99% of all scripture verses aren’t even considered “worthy” of inclusion on most “salvation tracts” by those who produce them because they contribute nothing toward the understanding of the definition of “Salvation”, which is not a state of simple “belief” in Jesus, but a state of being literally saved from annihilation; the elimination of every form of personal existence.
Those who continue to insist that “all scripture” is given by inspiration of GOD are demonstrating extreme naïveté about “all” Biblical scripture; and possibly, pure ignorance of what 99.99% of all “Biblical scriptures” actually say. Or else they are afraid of being labeled as heretics for casting the slightest shadow of a doubt on the preposterous concept of the “inerrancy” of “all scripture”.
Some who insist that only the King James Version or KJV contains a GOD-inspired “inerrant” English translation of “all scripture” are not aware of the fact that the original King James Version included English translations of the Apocrypha books. Those books are often included in Bible versions used by Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, but are now usually excluded from Bible versions favored by Protestant Christians.
Protestant Apocrypha
1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Roman Catholic Canon
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Greek Orthodox Canon
1 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
3 Maccabees
4 Maccabees
Psalm 151
If the “inerrant” and “infallible” translators of the King James Version were being supernaturally “led” to include in their project only scriptures inspired by GOD, why did they bother translating the apocryphal books into the same “religious sounding” King’s English for inclusion in the original KJV. Shouldn’t GOD have “fore-known” that many in our modern World believe any writing about God that is full of “thees” and “thous” must be “holy scripture”— no matter what it says?
Become a Claims Examiner
What is the claim of “inerrancy of scripture” built on? It is one short statement, or “scripture”, that is one of many written by the apostle Paul who had a habit of hyperbolic, or overly-exaggerated statements that don’t pass the test of reality.
2 TIMOTHY 3:16
3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
ROMANS 1:5
1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
ROMANS 1:8
1:8 First, I thank my GOD through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole World.
ROMANS 10:18
10:18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes truly, their sound went into all the Earth, and their words unto the ends of the World.
ROMANS 8:28
8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love GOD, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Any realistic Christian knows that “all things” don’t work together for good to them that love GOD. Don’t waste your time trying to twist every bad experience you have into something that was “good for you”. Paul’s “positive thinking” statements didn’t work for him very often—especially when he thought he was suffering with problems he didn’t deserve. Perhaps he carried another of his unrealistic “rules of thumb” a little too far at times.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:23
10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. [How did he figure that out?]
PHILIPPIANS 4:13
4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Ironically, YAHshua said he couldn’t do anything to fulfill his commission to preach the Gospel unless he was enabled and empowered to do so by GOD.
JOHN 5:19
5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Truly, truly, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things whatsoever He does, these also does the Son likewise.
JOHN 5:30
5:30 I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me.
JOHN 15:4-5
15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.
15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
It is one thing to believe that you can do nothing that GOD considers “bearing spiritual fruit” unless He is enabling it—which isn’t even true. But it is illogical and fanciful to believe you can do “all things” through belief that Christ is strengthening you to do it. Paul knew very well he couldn’t do “all things” he wanted to do in his ministry and was often frustrated by inability to “do all things”—because neither Christ, nor GOD were strengthening him so he could.
PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13
4:11 Not that I speak in respect of lack: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content [though you would never know that considering all of the complaining he did. And why did he say that? The Lord, YAHshua never seems to be “content”—so why should we?].
4:12 I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
What Was Paul Actually Saying in 2Timothy 3:16?
In the King James English version of Paul’s statement, it appears that Paul is saying, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine”. That phrase is misleading because the word “is” was added twice with the intention of making the Greek phrasing more understandable after translation into English. That is a “convention” used throughout the KJV. Such added words are signified in modern editions by making them italicized. But they do not necessarily improve the original intent or meaning of a phrase. And in 2 Timothy 3:16, the intended meaning is significantly changed.
Originally, the KJV, or “Authorized Version” was printed in an “Old English” type font. Added words, or “interpolations” were printed in a much smaller “Roman” or “Times Roman” type font to indicate that they were not translated from the Masoretic Hebrew Old Testament, or copies of the New Testament in Greek. Ironically, the original indication was changed to printing them in italics, which is now also used to emphasize words, creating just the opposite of the original intent.
2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17
3:14 But continue you in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them;
3:15 And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
3:17 That the man of GOD may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Paul was simply saying to his favorite young co-pastor Timothy—as “simply” as Paul could say anything:
But you continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them; and that from [the time you were] a child you have known the [specific Messianic] holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [Messiah YAHshua]—all [of which are] scripture given by inspiration of GOD, and [are] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the “man” of GOD [such as yourself] may be “perfect”, thoroughly furnished unto all good works [which will qualify a person such as yourself] for salvation [though it cannot be earned].
It should be obvious to anyone that very few individual Old Testament scriptures are able to make anyone “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”. Only those scriptures that are truly “holy” are worthy of being hallowed or protected by GOD.
LUKE 24:13-32
24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
24:14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
24:16 But their eyes were held that they should not know him.
24:17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that you have one to another, as you walk, and are sad?
24:18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Are you only a stranger in Jerusalem, and have not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
24:19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before GOD and all the people:
24:20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. [YAHshua was executed on a Thursday afternoon (the Passover of the fourteenth day of the first month in 30 A.D.); Friday, the “Passover” annual Holy Day Sabbath was the “first day since”; the weekly Sabbath was the “second day since”; and the first day of the week was the “third day since these things were done”.]
24:22 Yes, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the tomb;
24:23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24:24 And certain of them which were with us went to the tomb [that morning], and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
24:28 And they drew near unto the village, where they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
24:29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
24:30 And it came to pass, as he sat at food with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and broke, and gave to them.
24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Read again verse 27.
24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Does anyone think that the Lord took them through “all the scriptures” in the entire Hebrew or Greek Bible to find the scriptures that foretold the human phase of his Messiahship? Or did he simply explain “all the scriptures” concerning himself? The following scriptures are a few examples of ancient Hebrew scripture given by inspiration of GOD which collectively contribute to the vast “mosaic” of predictive information which portray no one else in history but Jesus Christ.
MARK 12:10
12:10 And have you not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
MARK 15:28
15:28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which says, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
LUKE 4:21-22
4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
4:22 And all bore him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
JOHN 2:22
2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
JOHN 7:42
7:42 Has not the scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
JOHN 13:18
13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.
JOHN 17:12
17:12 While I was with them in the World, I kept them in your name: those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
JOHN 19:20
19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, says, I thirst.
JOHN 19:24
19:24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which says, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
JOHN 19:36-37
19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
19:37 And again another scripture says, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
EXODUS 12:46
12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth any of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone thereof.
NUMBERS 9:10-12
9:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey far off, yet he shall keep the Passover unto the Lord.
9:11 The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
9:12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.
PSALMS 22:14-17
22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my flesh.
22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and you have brought me into the dust of death.
22:16 For dogs have compassed me [sniffing around to determine if he was dead yet]: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me [impatiently waiting for him to die].
They [his bones, have] pierced my hands and my feet.
22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
King David suffered from such an extreme degree of osteoporosis, among other major health problems, that the bones of his hands and feet were splintering and poking through the flesh of his hands and feet—“compound fracturing”.
JOHN 20:9
20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
ACTS 1:16
1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must essentially have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
ACTS 8:32
8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
ACTS 8:35
8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
1 PETER 2:6
2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on him shall not be confounded.
Does “All Scripture” Mean Every Scripture?
There is no reason to be confused because of the use of “scriptures” and the collective term ”scripture”. It is the same as the use of the term “laws” and the collective term “law”.
Paul continually referred to “the law”, not only in the sense of the books of Moses called “the Law”, but also as a general all-inclusive term which could refer to the beneficial “royal laws”—all “law” given by GOD and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness—or it could refer to all burdensome “law” which was given primarily as “short-term” punishment for the “Exodus generation” of Israel during their forty year “prison camp” existence, until most of them died—a “life sentence without possibility of parole”.
There is not the slightest bit of internal conflict between Paul’s opinions of “the Law”, if you understand how he differentiated the specific laws within “the Law” and the purposes for which they had been established.
GALATIANS 3:19
3:19 Wherefore then serves the [punitive, burdensome] law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made [the Messiah and all who will inherit his Kingdom on Earth]; and it [the law] was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
ROMANS 7:6-7
7:6 But now we are delivered from the [punitive, burdensome] law [and its death penalties], being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7:7 What shall we say then? Is “the Law” sin? GOD forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the Law: for I had not known lust, except the Law had said, You shall not covet.
Was Paul saying he would not have known it was wrong to lust unless he had seen the commandment, You shall not covet? Of course not. Most people don’t have to see a written law from GOD to know it’s “wrong” to lust. Even if the Lord had never written the Ten Commandments on stone tablets, most people would know that “lusting” usually leads to behavior that is worse—which is why such attitudes are “sin” in most people’s mental “book of morals”.
ROMANS 5:13
5:13 For until “the Law” [was given], sin was [always] in the World: but sin is not imputed when there is no law [thus the law of morality has always been in effect—even when it hadn’t yet been written in stone].
Just because a moral law isn’t “spelled out” somewhere, it doesn’t mean you can go ahead and be immoral. If you believe you can, you may have your freedom curtailed by those who think you are wrong.
1 JOHN 3:1-7
3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the “sons” [and “daughters”] of GOD: therefore the World knows us not, because it knew him not.
3:2 Beloved, now are we the “sons” [and “daughters”] of GOD, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3:3 And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he [Christ] is pure.
3:4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law [the laws of morality, whether written or not].
3:5 And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him [Christ] is no sin.
3:6 Whosoever abides in him [in the spiritual Body of Christ] sins not [regularly]: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he [Christ] is righteous.
Nevertheless, even converted humans will continue to “sin”, in some form or another; but it will not become a matter of obvious, uncontrolled immorality.
1 JOHN 1:8-10
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 JOHN 5:16-17
5:16 If any man sees his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death [refusal to accept salvation from the second death—but that won’t fully apply until the final judgment of each individual]: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
Incidentally, that final commandment, “You shall not covet” is not part of “the law from which we are delivered” (Romans 7:6).
EXODUS 20:17
20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is your neighbor's.
1 TIMOTHY 1:5-10
1:5 Now the end [goal] of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith sincere:
1:6 From which some having missed the mark have turned aside unto vain arguments;
1:7 Desiring to be teachers of “the Law”; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
1:8 But we know that “the Law” is good, if a man use it lawfully [separating the laws that are still useful from those that are now useless—the laws that are inspired, from the laws that are expired];
1:9 Knowing this, that “the Law” is not made for a righteous man [who doesn’t need to be overly concerned about “precision” obedience to the Ten Commandments], but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1:10 For whore-mongers [“pimps”] [and war-mongers—sellers of war], for them that defile themselves with mankind [male and female prostitutes who “defile” themselves with male “customers”], for slave traders, for liars, for promise breakers, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
ROMANS 7:12
7:12 Wherefore “the Law” is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
GALATIANS 5:14
5:14 For all “the Law” is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
JAMES 2:8
2:8 If you fulfill the Royal Law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well:
The Ten Commandments are the “Royal Law” which was clearly given by the Lord GOD through His Angel. Numerous other laws within the “law of Moses” were not clearly given by GOD, or even by the Angel of the LORD, and were actually Moses’ sometimes questionable interpretations and extensions of what he thought was the will of GOD—or what he thought would result in a more controllable environment. But those who enjoy controlling others with the “authority of Old Testament Law”—while assuming all “scriptural” laws came from GOD—have turned some of Moses’ versions of God’s laws into religious traditions that have become ritualistic absurdities.
MARK 7:5-13
7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not your disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands [pious germaphobes]?
7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7:7 Nevertheless in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
7:8 For laying aside the commandment of GOD, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do.
7:9 And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of GOD, that you may keep your own tradition.
7:10 For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother; and, Whoso curses father or mother, let him die the death:
7:11 But you say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; he shall be free.
7:12 And you allow him no more to do anything for his father or his mother;
7:13 Making the word of GOD of no effect through your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things do you.
DEUTERONOMY 23:21-23 [Moses said]
23:21 When you shall vow a vow unto the Lord your God, you shall not slack to pay it: for the Lord your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you.
23:22 But if you shall forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in you.
23:23 That which is gone out of your lips you shall keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as you have vowed unto the Lord your God, which you have promised with your mouth.
MATTHEW 5:33-37 [YAHshua said]
5:33 Again, you have heard that it has been said by them of old time, You shall not renounce swearing yourself, but shall perform unto the Lord your oaths:
5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by Heaven; for it is GOD's throne:
5:35 Nor by the Earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
5:36 Neither shall you swear by your head [or “by the hair on your chinny chin chin”], because you can not make one hair white or black [without using bleach or dye].
5:37 But let your communication be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil. [Actually, it is all right to communicate with more than two words—or is Yes, yes; No, no; four words?]
JOHN 1:17
1:17 For “the Law” was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
JOHN 8:5-7
8:5 Now Moses in “the Law” commanded us, that such should be stoned. But what say you?
8:6 This they said, tempting [testing] him, that they might have [reason] to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground [in Hebrew], as though he heard them not.
8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
DEUTERONOMY 17:6-7
17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
17:7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put the evil away from among you.
DEUTERONOMY 24:1-2 [Moses said]
24:1 When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he has found some ritualized “uncleanness” in her [such as unacceptable sexual history—not just an unfavorable “personality flaw”]: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
24:2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife [if another man will overlook the ritualized “uncleanness”].
MATTHEW 19:3-8 [YAHshua said]
19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting [testing] him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
19:5 And said, For this cause [primary reason for marrying—to create a family] shall a man leave father and mother [while still young enough to still be “living with his parents”], and shall cleave [not separate, but stick together like an unseparated clove of garlic] to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh? [not for a few minutes of “sex”—but in the sense of the combining of their DNA into “one flesh”—meaning children; or, a family]
19:6 Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore GOD has joined together [in the form of mutually engendered children], let not man put asunder [in the form of family-splitting divorce].
19:7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
19:8 He says unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts allowed you to put away your wives [and too often, the children]: but from the beginning it was not so [though there are acceptable justifications for divorce—according to Paul].
Endless Genealogies and Endless Arguments
More than any other Christian teacher, Paul knew from his own personal history that great portions of the Hebrew scriptures could be misinterpreted to support hateful, prejudiced, and murderous behavior against those who didn’t deserve it, claiming it was ordered by GOD, or that it was being done in emulation or imitation of God’s own judgment behavior as described in great detail throughout Hebrew scripture
Paul also knew that great portions of the Hebrew scriptures were essentially irrelevant and could cause the wasting of time if too much attention was given to them.
1 TIMOTHY 1:1-6
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of GOD our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from GOD our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
1:3 As I besought you to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that you might charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
1:5 Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith sincere:
1:6 From which some having missed the mark have turned aside unto vain arguments;
It is easy to find “endless genealogies” in the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles and elsewhere in scripture, that are completely irrelevant to most humans and which might cause one to question why they were included in supposedly inspired scripture.
It is extremely doubtful that Paul considered anything in traditional Hebrew scripture to be a fable and may have been referring to the “fables” in such Septuagint apocryphal books as Bel (or Baal) and the Dragon (idol)—which is actually rather humorous; or mythical fables about traditional Greek gods and goddesses; which may not be as “fableous” or fabulous as they appear to be—as will be discussed in future Presentations.
Early in his life, Paul had become an expert at useless striving about interpretations of “scriptural” laws that never had any real value. In fact, he continued to do that throughout his life—deliberately entering Jewish synagogues and engaging in futile, and often life-threatening theological battles with Pharisees over the “importance” of religious ritualism and its enforcement.
TITUS 3:8-9
3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that you affirm constantly, that they which have believed in GOD might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about “the Law”; for they are useless and vain.
Nevertheless, Paul appreciated the attitude of those few who listened intelligently to what he said about the specific Hebrew scriptures which revealed YAHshua as the Messiah/Christ, and who then made the effort to judge the rationality of his claims by searching through the scriptures, in the synagogue, to see if Paul might be right.
ACTS 17:1-12
17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned [argued] with them out of the scriptures,
17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must essentially have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
17:4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy [because no one would listen to them], took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the World upside down are come here also;
17:7 Whom Jason has received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
17:8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
17:9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming there went into the synagogue of the Jews.
17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
17:12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
The Lord, YAHshua Deliberately Limited His Public “Outreach”
Many assume that every “scriptural” statement attributed to YAHshua of Nazareth—also known as the Lord “Jesus” Christ—was carefully designed by the Lord, with the continual inspiration of GOD the Father, to contribute to the revelation of “all knowledge” regarding the basic will of GOD toward all humans for the rest of human history. But there is no scriptural reason for anyone to think that the Lord, YAHshua the Messiah, was determined to provide “all knowledge” of “the Way” to salvation (meaning himself) to all humans while he was living as a human; or that he thought anything he preached would ever be revealed to “Gentiles” until after “all prophecy was fulfilled”.
During the two and a half short years of his ministry, he followed the orders of GOD the Father, and deliberately restricted all revelation of “the Way” to those who were ethnically or genetically Israelite—or “Jewish”, as the term has become known. And because of his use of puzzling parables, few of those “Jews” who heard him understood much of what he was talking about—including his disciples.
YAHshua apparently wrote nothing during his human lifetime that has been preserved as a manuscript produced by his own hand; or a copy of such a manuscript. Even if the writers of the Gospels had access to hand-written “sermon notes”, or notes he had written during his travels to provide them with a unified recollection of his words and “works”, it would not have been sufficient for detailed reconstruction of what he had said.
It is doubtful that any of the disciples were taking copious notes about the details of the events in which they are often described as acting rather “clueless” during that period. Yet, the writers of the Gospels were able to provide the equivalent of transcripts of YAHshua’s’ public sermons and private conversations with them. Later, there will be some discussion of how the Lord not only brought things he had said to their remembrance, but also taught them things they hadn’t heard before; even enabling them to record private prayers between YAHshua and GOD the Father.
JOHN 14:25-26
14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name [as YAHshua in spirit, rather than in person], he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
In spite of the clear statements attributed to YAHshua, that he was virtually forbidden by GOD from revealing his doctrine and revealing his supernatural identity to any but those who were obvious Israelites, or of “Jewish” ancestry; and in spite of the disciples’ understanding that they were to continue that exclusive focus in their own missionary ministry; it became impossible to continue “hiding the light” from any Gentiles living within the Jewish population centers who were receptive to the “Christian” doctrines of behavioral freedom they were hearing about, which made more sense than anything they had heard about the current forms of often dictatorial and oppressive Jewish theology.
The Gospel presented by YAHshua of Nazareth was supposed to bring hope for a better World to those who were morally qualified and prepared to live in a World ruled by a supernatural “Jewish” Messiah empowered by the Most High GOD to completely transform the living surface of the Earth in fulfillment of numerous detailed prophetic promises found throughout the traditional Hebrew scriptures. The Gospel preached by YAHshua was not a substitution for anything found in Hebrew scripture, it was a revelation of the beginning of the fulfillment of all the prophetic promises found in Hebrew scripture.
YAHshua stated clearly that he had not come to eliminate anything from what was considered the most important part of Hebrew scripture— “the Law”, which included far more than the disorganized collections of the “laws of Moses” which had been imposed on the Exodus generation of Israelites due to their mass rejection of the Angel of the LORD.
Most of the ritualistic behavioral “laws of Moses” found in the books of “the Law” were temporary punitive “prison camp” regulations that were rarely enforced by the Angel of the LORD throughout “Biblical” history, and which have not been deserved by or imposed on any Israelites, or anyone else, in later generations who choose to obey the simple Law of GOD—the Ten Commandments.
YAHshua of Nazareth, who was the Angel of the LORD in human form, simplified the Ten Commandments even more, for all time, by clarifying the purpose of all law that he is concerned about—and he has been assigned by GOD to be the final supernatural Judge of all humans. The fundamental purpose of all laws given by the LORD GOD is to guide humans toward loving respect for Himself and His Angel in Heaven, which is demonstrated by moral and ethical interaction with all humans and other creatures on Earth—insofar as it is possible.
MATTHEW 22:35-40
22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in “the Law”?
22:37 Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
22:39 And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
22:40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
MATTHEW 5:16-19
5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
5:18 For truly I say unto you, Until heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, until all be fulfilled.
5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these “least” [minimized] commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the “least” [minimal in status] in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Outer Limits
Almost two thousand years have passed since YAHshua’s “personal” ministry from mid 27 A.D. to early 30 A.D. when he returned to continuing residence in Heaven—the “third heaven”—which invisibly surrounds Earth, just as the “invisible” atmospheric and stratospheric “first heaven” surrounds the Earth.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:2
12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: GOD knows;) such an one caught up to the third Heaven.
ISAIAH 13:9-10
13:9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
13:10 For the stars of [the second] heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the Sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine.
The globular, “star”-filled cosmos, or “second heaven” also surrounds the Earth. Though the space it occupies is astonishingly enormous, it is almost “infinitely” more “self-contained” than cosmologists calculate to support their bogus “ex nihilo”, out of nothing, “big bang” theories.
The electromagnetic light waves received on Earth from stars—which is the only obtainable physical evidence of their existence, and supposed distance from Earth—is completely controllable by GOD, who creates every characteristic of electromagnetic light waves by means of His literally “Universal” Spirit. He can manipulate them, by perfect control of His Spirit, to produce any visual effect He desires.
The Earth is obviously located in the center of the Universe, in spite of absurdly self–contradictory “pseudo-scientific” theoretical assertions that the cosmos or Universe has no true center; yet any viewpoint “within” the Universe will “appear” to be at its non-existent “center”. There will be much more discussion of “pseudo-scientific cosmic “math-ology” in future publications.
It is much like the assertions of illogical “theologians” who insist, beyond all reason, that every single scripture in their “Bible” was given by personal inspiration of GOD and therefore must be considered equally as profitable for doctrine as all of the others.
They easily ignore the obvious fact that most of the Old Testament scriptures have always been considered, by everyone, to be unprofitable for much of anything due to their complete lack of relevance to current human life, incomprehensibility due to missing fragments of ancient manuscripts which might have made it possible to build a cohesive and somewhat more comprehensible translation—especially within the books of the Prophets—or simply because tens of thousands of words of scripture were obviously never “given by inspiration of GOD” for any known purpose.
Only a few of the scriptures in the writings known as the book of “Job” (Jobe) are ever considered profitable for “instruction in righteousness” because most of the transcription of the long-winded bloviation of Job’s fellow “theologians” was abruptly dismissed and “blown away” by the Lord God, the Creator (from Genesis), who was obviously not “inspiring” anything that was being said by Job, or by his “inquisitional” theological “friends”, and recorded by the scribes employed by them.
JOB 38:1-6
38:1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
38:2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
38:3 Gird up now your loins like a man; for I will demand of you, and answer you me [an inquisition by God].
38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations [basalt] of the Earth? declare, if you have understanding.
38:5 Who has laid the measures thereof, if you know? or who has stretched the line upon it?
38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the [Northern directional] “corner stone” thereof;
JOB 26:7
26:7 He stretches out the North over the empty place, and hangs the Earth upon nothing.
JOB 38:7-9
38:7 When the “morning stars” [initial congregations of angels] sang together, and all the “sons” [suns] of GOD [angels] shouted for joy?
38:8 Or who shut up the Sea with doors, when it broke forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? [like the “water breaking”, or losing of amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac before birth]
38:9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof [surrounding it], and thick darkness a swaddling band for it [around it],
It may seem shocking that the LORD GOD, speaking through His Angel, is portrayed as being so unnecessarily harsh toward the devastated and traumatized Job. His “friends” were such self-righteous blowhards that one wishes that it was them trying to defend themselves against a religious inquisition into imaginary sins they had not committed. The ending of the story of Job is very instructive in regard to what the LORD GOD considers important to Himself. It is not the micro-dissection and analysis of everyone’s law-keeping ability or record, or whether someone deserves whatever life serves them. “Life is not fair”
Most people can agree with that from a personal viewpoint, because most probably think life has not been “fair” to them. And if someone seems overly, or unfairly “blessed”, it probably has nothing to do with being “blessed” by GOD—even if they claim it was GOD who blessed them. And it may not even have anything to do with worthiness, or having honestly earned a greater share of wealth. After all, sometimes “crime does pay, if you get away with it”. And many do—especially in the realm of “high finance, and “white-collar monkey business”.
Job clearly believed that, and it still holds true, that we should not judge any person’s worthiness or “blessedness” by the amount of wealth a person has, or the amount of poverty or impoverishment one has.
JOB 21:7-14
21:7 Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, are mighty in power?
21:8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
21:9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
21:10 Their bull genders, and fails not; their cow calves, and casts not her calf.
21:11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
21:12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
21:13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.
21:14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of your ways.
The book of Job illustrates throughout its long, repetitious, and mind-numbing content—which GOD dismissed as “words without knowledge”—that GOD’s definition of written words, or scriptures which are profitable for doctrine, and instruction in righteousness, are words which focus one’s mind on the plans and creations of GOD the Unlimited, and what can be learned from the enormous exhibition of freedom of peaceful behavior without “religious restraints” He has incorporated within the instincts of virtually every specie He has designed—and continues to design.
REVELATION 4:11
4:11 You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created.
EZEKIEL 33:11
33:11 Say unto them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O House of Israel?
GOD takes pleasure and pride in what He has created in the form of countless species able to live in the same environments around the Earth with infrequent violent interaction. GOD is not responsible for the creation of human governments that waste their nation’s resources and money concocting military conflicts based on philosophical and political condemnation of national governments who are probably providing better security for their populations with over-zealous religious control than those who imagine they are providing security with continual war-making, and continual disruption of normality and stability in the World.
If you want to know what GOD considers profitable for doctrine, reproof, and instruction in righteousness, don’t bother reading most of the book of Job. Most of it wasn’t inspired by GOD, and was judged to be unprofitable “words without knowledge” by GOD. It is a prime example of the worst form and use of Biblical content—endless discussion of how unrighteous someone else is based on a misunderstanding of GOD’s will and priorities while contributing nothing to knowledge of GOD’s primary interest—the exhibition and admiration of His powers of creation.
The GOD who created the human World has little patience with religionists who waste time inventing endless “laws of righteousness” for others to obey, while ignoring the primary creative interests of GOD. They claim GOD is pleased by fanatical devotion to the minutia of “perfect righteousness”, as they ignore one of the most important scriptural statements of the will of GOD; which apparently has been simplified beyond the capability of most religionists to comprehend—or to reconcile with their doctrinal misconceptions.
1 TIMOTHY 2:3-4
2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of GOD our Savior;
2:4 Who will [not just wishes to] have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
If only those who insist that “all scripture” means every single “scripture verse” in their Bible, could also believe that “all men” means every single human who has ever been born, perhaps some progress could be achieved in curing the “blind faith” they have in GOD’s “inspiration” of thousands of scriptures they have never truly read—even if they claim that they have “read” the Bible numerous times.
Modern Revelations From Science
Incidentally, the name “Job” is most likely a derivative of “Jove” as in “Jehovah”. Part of the symbolism of Job’s horrific experience involves Satan being allowed by GOD, to unjustly torture him, a truly righteous man, in an attempt to destroy his faith in GOD and disqualify him for the rewards he deserved for his life-long righteousness and undying faith. The events of Job’s testing by Satan, with permission from GOD, have an obvious parallel in the end-of-life testing of the Angel of the LORD himself, in the form of the righteous human YAHshua who was falsely condemned by self-righteous theologians for imaginary sins.
Not “all scripture” verses are profitable for doctrine. But virtually every “Bible story” throughout the Hebrew scriptures which involves supernatural miracles or miraculous intervention—though literally historical as portrayed—can also be seen as a type, or preview of the later fulfillment of a multitude of prophecies detailing past circumstances and incidents in the life of YAHshua of Nazareth, the human “Son of Man” in the first century A.D., and his future as the supernatural Son of GOD who will be empowered by GOD to be the Messiah of the World in the near future.
The ability of GOD to symbolically portray all of the components of His Master Plan for Humanity is not limited to the miraculous manipulation of events in ancient history that are difficult to verify. Much of what GOD has planned for the Earth and all of its inhabitants—external, and internal—has also been portrayed within the physical composition and configuration of “worlds” that have only become knowable because of modern science.
One of the first Xrayzr revelations presented on the Xrayzr Revelations website was the fact that the atomic structures of Hydrogen, 1 proton, and 1 electron—1&1; Oxygen, 8 protons, 8 neutrons, and 8 electrons—8.8.8; and Carbon, 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons—6.6.6; the most omnipresent atoms in the Universe and in our human World, reveal the relational structure of the GODhead; the Greek alphanumeric “number” of the name of who has been designated by the Most High GOD to be the Messiah/Christ of the World—Iesous, or “Jesus”; and the Greek alphanumeric “number” of the still undisclosed name of the false Messiah/Christ, or Anti-Christ who will be allowed to deceive and control the World shortly before the return of the true Messiah. Please re-read, The First Atom— Xrayzr. It’s not that difficult to understand.
In future publications there will be discussion of the amazing planetary symbolism visible within our current solar system configuration and the spirit history and extremely ancient Earth history it reveals. It will involve the events surrounding the former “life” and “death” of Jupiter, or Jove—a planet with a symbolically significant diameter of 88,800 miles.
Though it was created to be a “sun” in a binary star system symbolic of the Hydrogen atom; it became a “lifeless” body, now seen with an enormous red, elliptical “storm spot”, symbolic of a “spear-wound” in its side. It is surrounded by four well-known “Galileans” (moons discovered by Galileo Galilei at the same time the KJV of the Bible was about to be published) “traumatized” or scarred in different ways by what happened to all of them.
Among those closest to Jupiter (or Jove, the Roman “king of gods” (or Lord of lords), also known as the Greek Zeus; like Iesous/Jesus) is the “Galilean” moon named IO (I-owe). It now has the appearance of a hideous “rotting” blob pocked with hundreds of sulfurous volcanoes seemingly signaling its readiness to “burst asunder” (like the bloated corpse of Judas Iscariot, which finally rotted enough to disintegrate the noose with which he hung himself).
In outer darkness lurks an occultic (hidden) ethereal (gaseous) trio—Saturn; behind it, Uranus; and Neptune (or Poseidon), the mythical god from “under the Earth” in the depths of the Sea with a “trident pitchfork” bringing up the rear.
Recent photographs from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft reveal a massive cyclonic configuration at Saturn’s North Pole that is clearly, and “unnaturally”, hexagonal—or six-sided in shape. The distance between any two opposing sides could contain two “Earths”.
Though sometimes confused with the five-point “ox-like” (or fox-like) “upside down star” known as the pentagram—the six-sided hexagon has long been associated with Satan and “Satanism”. Some have made the claim that the twelve-sided, six-point “Star of David”, or Magen David is hexagonal in shape because it contains a hexagon. Some even imagine that “Satanic” hexagons cover, or conceal a “Star of David” — believable only to the “d’oh” minions in dominions who believe “Jews” are behind all evil in the World.
EPHESIANS 6:11-12
6:11 Put on the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.
6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this World, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
EPHESIANS 1:15-23
1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
1:17 That the GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,
1:20 Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in the Heavenly places,
1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this World, but also in that which is to come:
1:22 And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church,
1:23 Which is his body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all.
1 PETER 1:19
1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; unto which you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in your hearts:
REVELATION 22:16
22:16 I, Jesus, have sent my “angel” [vision image] to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star [the Sun].
MALACHI 4:2
4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings
ISAIAH 14:13-15
14:12 How are you fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, “son of the morning”! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!
14:13 For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of GOD: I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation, in the sides of the North:
14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to Hell; to the sides of the [bottomless] pit.
Notice that the name “Lucifer” refers to being an early “light bringer”, or “son of the morning”—not “morning star”, which refers only to YAHshua.
The concept behind the phenomenon of the Moon being able to perfectly eclipse the Sun (except for the corona, or crown), bringing unnatural darkness to the World for a short period, will be explained in a future discussion of what will happen when Satan is allowed to pose as “God” for a forty-two month period in the not-too-distant future.
But as the Star of David, or the symbolic six points, or “flares” of the Sun star, or “Sun of David” contain, or constrain the “hexagon”—the brilliance of the God of Israel (the Angel of the LORD) will finally outshine and overshadow all false “Gods”, such as Satan.
Saturn, like Satan; far more than Uranus and Neptune; “glorifies” and hallows, or halo’s itself by attracting fragments of what used to be an amazing planetary body that was shattered by an explosive event that transmogrified our solar system into a shadow of its original design. Like an “urn”, Saturn “holds” (in its gravitational grip) the lifeless ashes and debris of a once living planet; which will be referred to as XO, for many symbolic reasons which will be explained in future discussions.
The former “exo-planet” that orbited Jove; when Jove was “alive” as a secondary star in our solar system; was similar to the Earth in mineral composition, and covered with water; designed to be an “estate” for an extraordinary realm of living beings. It is now seen only as rock and ice remnants which fill our solar system to its farthest reaches, and which have disfigured, in thousands of ways, the surfaces of the globular planets and moons that were originally created unblemished.
JUDE 1:6
1:6 And the [alienated, or “alien”] angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day [but not all of them are imprisoned; which will be fully explained in future discussions].
The seventh day of the week has been known as Sabbath since the first week of the creation of our human World—but not by any means, the creation of the planet Earth or the rest of the original solar system configuration. The first day of the week, following Sabbath, has become known as Sunday. Some of the prophetic symbolism of the seventh day Sabbath became obscured and hidden when it was renamed Saturday, or Saturn’s day, and Sunday began to be portrayed as the “true” Sabbath—the supposed “Lord’s Day”.
MARK 2:27-28
2:27 And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:
2:28 Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath [not Sunday; which most agree is the first day of the week].
Many can be easily duped by theological substitutes and counterfeits when they don’t bother to read about the originals so they can recognize them.
MATTHEW 24:24
24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
DANIEL 7:25
7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
There is much more to the story of what our former binary solar system was originally designed to portray symbolically, and how Earth became the only remaining planet enabled to support the countless DNA-based species that have been designed, perfected, and brought to continuing physical life throughout the ages.
Revelation Before the Beginning of the End-Time
If you have been reading the Presentations of Xrayzr Revelations—you may have noticed that many of my explanations of the revelations embedded and “hidden” in scripture are often as “long-winded” as the writings of Job’s “friends”. Yet the scriptures I use, and attempt to put into proper perspective are intended to guide you toward an understanding of what is called the End-Time.
REVELATION 1:10-19
1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day [enveloped in a Spirit vision portraying the End-Time—especially the “Day of the Lord” (the Lord’s Day)], and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and, What you see, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man [YAHshua’s “angel presence” capable of instantaneous transformation into any symbolic vision image], clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle.
1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the Sun shining in its strength.
1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last:
1:18 I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
The content of the book known as “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” was given to the apostle John in 60 A.D. during a very lengthy, fully dimensional vision in which John was able to consciously record, in written form, what he was witnessing as symbolic prophecy. A copy of it was progressively read to “the seven churches in Asia Minor which were named and targeted as being typical of the wide array of behavior patterns seen in other churches of GOD throughout the Mediterranean “World”. Additional copies were eventually distributed and read to many other churches.
REVELATION 3:14-17
3:14 And unto the “angel” [vision representation] of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen [or “Amon”, one of the names of the Lord], the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of GOD;
3:15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot.
3:16 So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.
3:17 Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The city’s wealth, civic improvement projects, and Roman-style property enhancements that had been constructed since a major earthquake hit Laodicea in about 17 B.C., were devastated by another major earthquake under Laodicea shortly after 60 A.D. eliminating the probability that any of the citizens would still be saying “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”
REVELATION 3:22
3:22 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
The reception to the messages of Revelation in most churches of GOD was not even “lukewarm”, but cold and hostile. In Paul’s epistles written soon after the Revelation there is a strong intensification of written warnings to prepare for the End-Time—including Paul’s advice to forgo opportunities to get married.
1 CORINTHIANS 7:24-31
7:24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with GOD.
7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
7:26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
7:27 Are you bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
7:28 But and if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remains, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
7:30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
7:31 And they that use this World, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this World passes away.
The apostle Peter even traveled to the area of Babylon, in Mesopotamia to prepare the mostly Jewish, Aramaic-speaking Christians in that area, believing it would soon become the focal point of anti-Christ evil during the forty-two month reign of the Anti-Christ “Beast”.
1 PETER 1:1
1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia [areas he was overseeing before traveling to Babylon],
1 PETER 4:12-13
4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1 PETER 5:12-13
5:12 By [the hand of] Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of GOD wherein you stand.
5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, salutes you; and so does Marcus [John Mark] my [spiritual] “son” [who was the primary transcribing writer of Peter’s Gospel—known as “Mark”].
The First Postponement of the End-Time
After YAHshua’s almost complete rejection by multitudes of Jews who had heard him speak in person and witnessed his healing miracles during the two and a half years in which he began to “confirm the New Covenant”, it quickly became obvious that Israel’s inheritance of the entire “Promised Land” would not be fulfilled after another four and a half years, plus the several month period of the “Day” of the Lord. That could have happened if the “seventieth week” of seven years of the prophecy given to Daniel had continued uninterrupted, as prophesied in Daniel.
DANIEL 9:24
9:24 Seventy “weeks” [seven year periods] are determined upon your people and upon your Holy City, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy[the official, literal anointing of the Messiah/Christ by GOD—not any of the many things called “most holy” associated with the Old Covenant; including the “Holy of Holies” chamber of the Tabernacle and Temple.]
DANIEL 7:13-14
7:13 I saw in the night, visions [a preview of the end of the End-Time], and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before Him [for his official anointing as the Messiah/Christ].
7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
LEVITICUS 27:28
27:28 Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he has, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is “most holy” unto the Lord.
NUMBERS 18:8-10
18:8 And the Lord spoke unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given you the charge of my heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, by an ordinance for ever.
18:9 This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every food offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs which they shall render unto me, shall be “most holy” for you and for your sons.
18:10 In the “most holy” place [not the Holy of Holies” chamber] shall you eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto you.
DANIEL 9:25-26
9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [appearing as the adult, thirty year-old Son of Man—see Daniel 7:13 above] shall be seven “weeks”, and threescore and two “weeks”: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
9:26 And [during the seventieth “week” of seven years] after threescore and two “weeks” [plus the previous seven “weeks”—totaling sixty-nine “weeks”; or 483 years] shall Messiah [as the Son of Man] be cut off [his execution by crucifixion], but not for himself: and the people of the [devil] Prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood [of literal water], and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
REVELATION 12:13-17
12:13 And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth, he persecuted the woman [Israel] which brought forth the male child [YAHshua of Nazareth].
12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle [supernatural transportation], that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place [which won’t be “wilderness”], where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the Serpent.
12:15 And the Serpent cast out of his mouth, water [from the Mediterranean Sea] as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood [drowned].
12:16 And the Earth helped the woman, and the Earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth [but not until it has been manipulated by the Lord to cause the land from the Mediterranean Sea to Jerusalem to be desolated as part of the End-Time environmental “atmosphere”].
12:17 And the Dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of GOD, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
LUKE 17:26-27
17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.
17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
In a future publication it will be explained how literal this will be in regard to the starting location of Noah’s Ark which was constructed entirely of enormous bamboo “poles”. Even today, bamboo “shoots” or culms can grow one hundred-fifty feet long and over a foot in diameter—in a few months! After the rapid growth at full diameter, they harden over the next couple of years.
Bamboo culms contain considerable silica, giving them strength like “fiberglass”, and steel reinforcing rods; they grow with chambers that can be made water-proof and buoyant; are resistant to bacteria; and the leaves and fibrous components have a vast array of uses—food for humans and animals, clothing material, rope, flooring, cages, etc., etc. A bamboo beer can be made with the leaves and seeds and may have medicinal qualities.
LUKE 17:31
17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
MARK 13:14-22
24:14 And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
24:15 When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the Holy Place, (whoso reads, let him understand:)
24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains [the elevation will become temporarily protective in regard to the Flood]:
24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
24:20 But pray you that your flight be not in the winter [it will be too late], neither on the Sabbath day [it will attract attention because most Jews in the vastly changed Jerusalem at that time will be at home, unwilling to travel more than a “sabbath day’s journey”]:
24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the World to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days [of tribulation] shall be shortened.
DANIEL 9:27
9:27 And he [Messiah] shall confirm the [New] Covenant with many for one week [totaling seven years—but two and a half years are already fulfilled]: and in the midst of the week he [Messiah] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease [by allowing the Anti-Christ to begin an unrestrained forty-two month “reign of terror”; first from Jerusalem; then from a rebuilt Babylon on the Euphrates River], and for the overspreading of abominations [perpetrated by the Anti-Christ in Jerusalem] he [Messiah] shall make it [the land of Israel] desolate [once again], even until the consummation, and that [which has been] determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
ISAIAH 13:9
13:9 Behold, the [entire End-Time period known as the] Day of the Lord comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
AMOS 5:18-20
5:18 Woe unto you that desire the Day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the Day of the Lord [the “Lord’s Day”] is darkness, and not light [not “Sunday”!].
5:19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
5:20 Shall not the Day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
After the dismal response from Israel toward the ministry of YAHshua the Messiah; who spent two and a half years beginning to confirm the New Covenant he was prepared to establish with Israel; it appeared, once again, that there would be forty years of postponement from the year (30 A.D.) of the final rejection of the Son of Man, who was previously known as the Angel of the LORD; just as forty years of postponement was imposed on the Exodus generation when they rejected the Angel of the Lord as their God; preferring to continue worshipping the devil gods of ancient Egypt.
When the Revelation was given and prepared for copying and distribution in 60 A.D., it seemed certain to all of the apostles and elders (other early witnessing disciples) that everything was being readied, by GOD the Father; the Ancient of Days Himself, to finalize the establishment of the Kingdom of GOD on Earth, ruled by YAHshua, the Messiah—Jesus Christ—at the end of the forty year postponement—70 A.D.
The members of most of the churches of GOD, Jewish and Gentile alike, were in no way prepared to perform the responsibilities of preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD to all nations within the Mediterranean “World”. The “snapshot” portrayals of the seven churches in Asia minor addressed in the Revelation makes it clear that the Lord was ready to disassociate himself from many of the members of his “body of believers”.
And the tepid, apathetic, and sometimes even hostile initial response to the Revelation worsened to the point that some churches refused to allow the apostle John himself to explain what had been read to many congregations. John wrote the epistles known as 1, 2, and 3 John in response to some of the churches rejecting him as a prophet like Elijah, relaying messages directly from GOD.
3 JOHN 1:1-14
1:1 The Elder [John] unto the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
1:3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren [living in the community around John] came and testified of the truth that is in you, even as you walk in the truth.
1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
1:5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatsoever you do to the brethren, and to strangers;
1:6 Which have borne witness of your love before the Church: whom if you bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, you shall do well:
1:7 Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
1:8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.
1:9 I wrote unto the church [probably the one in Laodicea, soon after the earthquake around 60 AD. Apparently the whole city, Jews and Gentiles, at first declined reconstruction funding from Rome because they were still relatively rich and used to saying they “had need of nothing”]: but Diotrephes, who loves to have the pre-eminence among them, receives us not.
1:10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he does, babbling against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither does he himself receive the brethren [John’s associates], and forbids them that would, and casts them out of the church.
1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of GOD: but he that does evil has not seen GOD.
1:12 Demetrius has good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yes, and we also bear record; and you know that our record is true[that was because of the extraordinary revelations given to the “we” being referred to.]
1:13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto you:
1:14 But I trust I shall shortly see you, and we shall speak face to face. [That church was close to where the aging John was living, enabling him to make the trip himself.] Peace be to you. Our friends salute you. Greet the friends by name.[It was a “close-knit” group.]
Notice there were several authoritative brethren who were prepared to attempt to restore peace and love within that congregation in person.
Though it had seemed that the Revelation presented an End-Time master plan that could not be altered without making the once-again glorified Angel of the LORD appear to be a false prophet himself—it is GOD the Father who determines what He will enable, and when He will enable it. Without the supernatural power to spiritually convert all human spirits; the Angel of the LORD—the God of Israel—could not have transformed the entire global World as Messiah any better than he transformed Israel throughout many centuries; as recorded in all Hebrew scripture.
Anyone who is creative usually develops a tentative time-plan for completing his, or her latest “creation”, or series of “creations”. It’s called planning. But few plans for accomplishing something that hasn’t been accomplished before ever “follow the plan”. Just because the timing of a planner’s plan doesn’t work out” as planned—and they never do—it doesn’t make the planner a “false” planner.
Likewise, just because GOD decides to postpone one plan (or elaborate set of prophecies) by deciding to accomplish the goal later—it doesn’t make any person who promised “on time” fulfillment of an earlier plan a liar—or a false prophet.
It should not have been a surprise that GOD the Father preferred the relatively well-known “seven thousand year plan” for the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecy, which He had already symbolized by the seven-day week established during the creation of our human World on the global Earth. That is not a reference to the creation of the ancient Earth—which wasn’t always “global”—shaped like a globule.
EXODUS 31:17
31:17 It is a sign [of something greater] between me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and Earth [to become the “human World” we live in]; and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
What we know as our “human World”—which includes all of the countless life-filled “micro-environments” seamlessly covering the globe of the Earth—was not fully established during the few days known as the literal seven day week of Genesis 1. Nor were the Earth’s vital “micro-environments” re-established “naturally” just in time for a gradual unco-ordinated dispersion of the very limited assortment of basic species of air-breathing creatures that were represented on the Ark built by Noah, and his three sons—and probably numerous other laborers.
In a later publication, already published evidence from another author will be presented revealing the technique probably used by GOD to re-establish, or “replenish” life on Earth, which had been catastrophically flooded before “Creation Week”; and definitely used on Earth after all still-populated areas were flooded and desolated during the life of Noah.
Time Flies Whether You’re Having Fun or Not
It is GOD the Unlimited who determines what happens in our human World, which He has created in its infinite intricacy—not His Angel. However, there is one apparent “entity” that seems to exist, yet does not exist as something GOD has created—“time”. The following is a reference to the accounting of “time” by GOD—not His perception of it.
PSALMS 90:4
90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as “yesterday” when it is past [not while it is passing], and as a watch in the night.
Notice that this does not say that God experiences “time” any differently than we do. God does not live “outside of time and space”, whatever that means. Actually, it means absolutely nothing. Yet some “scientists” claim the “big bang singularity” “came into heat” and “fluctuated” itself less than an instant before it “created” time, and space, and “space-time” in which to exist.
“Time” is not something created by GOD and nothing can slow it down, or speed it up. “Time” is simply a measurement of duration. It has no atomic tangibility, in spite of the mythical “math-ology” of some “theoretical physicists” (physicists who are theorists; not those who are “physicists” in theory) who believe they can make their chalk-board calculations “prove” that “time” can go backwards!
2 PETER 3:8-9
3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one “day” is [has become] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a [literal] thousand years as one “day” [in the seven thousand year “week” symbolism that was being revealed to those who were responsible for spreading the “news”.]
3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us [“beloved” believers], not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [not that all humans on Earth would become believers through the efforts of human missionaries; but that those who were believers, but were losing faith in the Messiah, would repent, and recover their “first love”].
Heaven and Earth Shall Pass Away, But My Words Shall Not Pass Away
MATTHEW 24:34-36
24:34 Truly I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, until all these things be fulfilled.
24:35 heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
24:36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only.
Sure enough, thousands of words of the Lord have not passed away—though he probably wishes that they would, because throughout the Hebrew scriptures, and throughout many of the Christian scriptures he is on record expressing his judgments as the Angel of GOD with hateful attitudes and condemnations of humans that seem “un-Godly” by almost anyone’s standards.
REVELATION 2:14-15
2:14 But I have a few things against you [the church in Smyrna], because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
2:15 So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes [gross abuse of the doctrine of GOD’s grace], which thing I hate.
NUMBERS 24:25 and 25:1-5
24:25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
25:2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
25:3 And Israel “joined himself” unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
25:4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the Sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.
25:5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay you every one his men that were “joined” unto Baalpeor.
REVELATION 2:18-23
2:18 And unto the “angel” of the church in Thyatira write; These things says the Son of GOD, who has his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
2:19 I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and your patience, and your works; and the last to be more than the first.
2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
2:21 And I gave her [the “prophetess” Jezebel] space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works [notwithstanding your good “works, and love, and service, and faith, and your patience, and your works; and the last to be more than the first”]
Those two activities—eating and fornicating—were often done at about the same time by those who would buy or consume roasted meat in idolatrous temple “meat markets” which also provided the services of temple prostitutes—male and female.
GENESIS 2:18-21
2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helpmate for him.
2:19 And out of the ground [to prove to Adam that he was the Creator] the Lord God formed “every” beast of the field, and “every” fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them [like taking one’s child to a zoo]: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof [he probably didn’t call them by their scientific specie classifications]
2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helpmate [help meet—KJV] for him.
2:21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam [supernatural anesthesia], and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
This symbolism prefigured YAHshua dying before one of the soldiers opened up his side with a spear.
JOHN 19:29-37
19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the soured wine, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the spirit.
19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the “preparation” [Passover Day on the fourteenth, for the Feast Day on the fifteenth], that the bodies should not remain upon the “cross” on the Sabbath day, (for that [annual] Sabbath day [the First Day of Unleavened Bread] was a High Day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
19:32 Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they broke not his legs:
19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water [the heart is surrounded by the “pericardial sac” filled with a watery fluid.]
19:35 And he [John] that saw it bore record, and his record is true: and he knows that he says true, that you might believe.
19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
19:37 And again another scripture says, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
That gaping wound was manifested in the flesh and bone body in which YAHshua presented himself to the disciples after his resurrection. Eight days after the other disciples first saw the resurrected YAHshua, he invited his disciple Thomas—the doubter—to put his hand into the “wound”, thus symbolically becoming “part” of his flesh and bone resurrection embodiment, as well as becoming part of his spiritual “Body”—the Church, after all were finally converted on Pentecost Day.
JOHN 20:24-29
20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands [wrists] the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
20:27 Then says he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands [wrists]; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my GOD.
20:29 Jesus says unto him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
GENESIS 2:22-25 continuing
2:22 And from the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made [built] he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man [as if out of a “womb”].
2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed [they had nothing to hide—at that point].
The term “helpmate” is a variant of “help meet” or “mete”—“measured out according to need”. The term “mete” (or “meet”) is a translation of the Hebrew “neged”, meaning “opposite” (or “opposing”). Eve was built to be opposite Adam in many ways. The phrase “made he a woman” can be translated as “built he a woman”—Eve was really “built”. Adam and Eve were both “neged”, or “naked”. Both “mates” were of the “opposite sex”—not to be confused with being “opposed to sex” as many “helpmates” are.
The Lord God introduced the naked Eve to Adam saying, “Meet the maid I made to be mete for you to mate with.” It would be “highly inappropriate” to make jokes here about “made to be meat for you”—or jokes about a “meat helper” product. The point of this nonsense is the serious problem of men without scruples who have no “help mete” that they want to approach for “sex”, lurking around cocktail lounges, or saloons, trying to meet someone without scruples who will be “meat” for them—on a very temporary basis. It’s one of the World’s oldest problems.
And one of the World’s oldest professions was featured in ancient idolatrous temple activity. The “priests” would entice paying customers with a “double attraction”—a sumptuous meal, with a “happy ending” (no; not dessert). The apostle Paul claimed that he had no scruples about eating in such establishments; at least when none of the brethren were watching.
For awhile, Paul went overboard in extoling the virtues of legitimate, GOD-given freedom from ritualistic and oppressive laws—which includes freedom to eat and drink almost anything without concern about maintaining an appearance of “religious righteousness”.
ROMANS 14:2-3
14:2 For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs [or smokes them].
14:3 Let not him that eats, despise him that eats not; and let not him which eats not judge him that eats: for GOD has received him.
ROMANS 14:20-23
14:20 For food destroy not the work of GOD. All things indeed are pure; [Really?] but it is evil for that man who eats with offense.
14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.
14:22 Have you faith? Have it to yourself before GOD. Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows.
14:23 And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Paul claimed everything was “pure” and “lawful” for him—though every other true leader in the churches of GOD knew that Paul had a habit of using hyperbolic overstatements that needed too much explanation to be workable for most people other than Paul.
1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-13
8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the World, and that there is no other GOD but One.
8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in Heaven or in Earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
8:6 But to us there is but one GOD, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
8:7 Nevertheless there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. [Was Paul having second thoughts and doubts about how “strong” his own conscience really was? Perhaps speaking to himself more than others, in realization that few were resisting the added attractions when they went into the temples “just for a bite to eat”.]
8:8 But food commends us not to GOD: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.
8:10 For if any man see you which have knowledge [probably only Paul, himself] sit to eat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to “eat” those “things” which are offered to idols; [It wouldn’t matter—if that was all he was doing.]
8:11 And through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish [by regularly doing things other than eat in the idol’s temple], for whom Christ died?
8:12 But when you sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
8:13 Wherefore, if food makes my brother to offend, I [Paul] will eat no flesh while the World stands, lest I make my brother to offend. [Yeah; right.]
That sounds like Paul didn’t have such a “free” conscience after all. And that he finally realized that all the other church leaders were simply telling believers to avoid idolatrous “meat markets” completely, with no exceptions, and no “mind games”.
ACTS 15:25-29
15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
15:29 That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Fare you well.
ACTS 21:25-26
21:25 As concerning the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
21:26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the Temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
REVELATION 2:14
2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit [idolatrous] fornication.
REVELATION 2:20
2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:20-29
10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to GOD: and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils.
10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
10:22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.[all things aren’t lawful for anybody]
10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's profit.
10:25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
10:26 For the Earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.
10:27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and you be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
10:28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the Earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof:
10:29 Conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? [Yet Paul was letting the consciences of others rule over him; preventing him from doing lawful things.]
Notice that some of the back-and-forth debates Paul was having with himself were not exactly helpful, and sometimes revealed that Paul wasn’t sure what he should believe, or say; so he said things that probably should have been edited out—like a lot of what has been perpetually preserved in the Old Testament.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:30-32 continuing
10:30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
10:31 Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of GOD. [Do all to the glory of GOD? Who can do that?]
10:32 Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of GOD: [How is that even remotely possible?]
10:33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. [Paul neither pleased all men in all things, nor convinced anyone that he was trying to.]
If you can somehow make Paul’s scriptural statements, such as those above, sound like realistic and practical advice, then I might have reason to believe those statements were “inspired” by GOD. But they sound unrealistic, and impractical—because they are. Don’t imagine that you will ever “please all men in all things”. YAHshua certainly didn’t; and as a matter of fact, he didn’t seem to care how many people he offended by many things he said and did—for example:
JOHN 6:51-68
6:51 I am the living “bread” which came down from Heaven: if any man “eat” of this “bread”, he shall live for ever: and the “bread” that I will give is my “flesh” [his life in a mortal body], which I will give for the life of the World.
6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? [He wasn’t doing that!]
6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except you “eat” the “flesh” of the Son of Man, and “drink” his “blood”, you have no life in you.
6:54 Whoso “eats” my “flesh”, and drinks my “blood”, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
6:55 For my “flesh” [mortal body] is “food” indeed, and my [life’s] “blood” is “drink” indeed.
6:56 He that “eats” my “flesh”, and “drinks” my “blood”, dwells in me, and I in him.
6:57 As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that “eats” me, even he shall live by me.
6:58 This is that “bread” which came down from Heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that “eats” of this “bread” shall live for ever.
6:59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum [where he had his own home, as an adult].
6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you? [he deliberately made it ambiguous and extremely offensive to repel those who were mainly interested in seeing and perhaps experiencing one of his miracle healings]
6:62 What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?
6:63 It is the spirit that gives life; the [literal] flesh [of his mortal body] profits nothing [in fact he later attempted to convince the Father to scrap the whole “sacrificial lamb” fulfillment, which revealed that he didn’t think it was a necessary element in anyone’s salvation]: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit [spiritual—not literal], and they are life [giving].
MARK 14:35-39
14:35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto you. Take away this cup from me! Nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.
14:37 And he comes, and finds them sleeping, and says unto Peter, Simon, sleep you? Could not you watch one hour?
14:38 Watch you and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
14:39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spoke the same words.
Yet, contrary to YAHshua’s plain teaching to his closest disciples that he was not talking about anyone literally eating his literal flesh and literally drinking his literal blood—which is literal cannibalism—there are countless millions who think he was.
In spite of the physical impracticality of its administration, and the absurdity of imagining that GOD is still continuously multiplying the “loaves and fishes” by unnecessarily reproducing infinite amounts of Jesus’ former literal human flesh for Catholic Christians to literally eat; and changing innumerable barrels of wine into the former literal human blood of Jesus for Catholic priests to drink, on “behalf” of the parishioners; the doctrine of “transubstantiation” is still perpetuated, even though Jesus said his actual former human flesh, and blood was not profitable for anything (see John 6:63 above) or necessary for the joining of his Spirit with the individualized spirit of any human who wants that relationship.
The following is very “spiritual”, so don’t be concerned if it is unclear to you. Eventually you will be able to understand it if you read past and future publications of Xrayzr Revelations. But even if it is still ambiguous to you at this point—you should be able to get some grasp of what is profitable for the acquisition of eternal life.
It is in no way, shape, or form, the eating of physical bread or “wafers” that have supposedly been transmogrified into literal human flesh that is “identical” to the flesh of Jesus Christ almost two thousand years ago—even though it doesn’t appear to have changed in any way, shape, or form.
ROMANS 8:3-11
8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, GOD, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be “fulfilled” in us, who walk not “after the flesh” [pursuing only things that will give one’s self fleshly pleasure], but after the Spirit [pursuing things that will give GOD pleasure because of your behavior].
8:5 For they that are “after the flesh” do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
8:6 For to be carnally [“fleshly”] minded [“meat-headed”] is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace [it promotes life and peace, rather than death and war].
8:7 Because the carnal [“fleshly”] mind is enmity against GOD: for it is not subject to the law of GOD, neither indeed can be.
8:8 So then they that are “in the flesh” [carnal minded] cannot please GOD.
8:9 But you are not in the flesh, but “in the Spirit” [Spirit minded], if so be that the Spirit of GOD dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his [not truly Christian].
8:10 And if Christ be in you [spiritually in your mind], the body is “dead” because of sin; but the Spirit [of GOD, and Christ—see previous verse] is life because of righteousness.
8:11 But if the Spirit of Him [GOD] that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also restore life in your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.
JOHN 6:64-68 continuing
6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away?
6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life [and the prerequisite for qualifying for the future gift of eternal life, is receiving the Spirit of Christ—not the illusory “body” and “blood” of Christ].
The Second Postponement of the End-Time
In spite of all efforts of the apostles—especially Paul; to prepare all believers for what was imminent when the Revelation was given in 60 A.D., and could have been fulfilled exactly as symbolized in the vision experienced by John; the fulfillment of all End-Time prophecy was once again postponed by GOD the Father, until six, thousand-year “days” are completed for the “works” of mankind—to be followed by a thousand year “Millennium” of restful peace between all nations, allowing spiritual education to cover the Earth.
ISAIAH 11:9
11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Holy Mountain: for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea.
HEBREWS 3:17-19
3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?
3:18 And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
HEBREWS 4:4-11
4:4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day [Sabbath] likewise, And GOD did rest the seventh day from all His works.
4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
4:6 Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
4:7 Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.
4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
4:9 There remains therefore a [“seventh day”] rest to the people of GOD.
4:10 For he that is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as GOD did from His.
4:11 Let us labor [during the six thousand year, six “day” period] therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
The apostle John added important supplemental revelation to the original Revelation after it was made clear to the apostles that the 4,000 year plan, leading to the return of the Messiah, would not happen as Paul and Peter had written in epistles after John had released the first “complete” version of the Revelation. John used unusual repetition—six, “thousand year” references, within a very short section of scripture, to ensure the revised message would not be lost.
REVELATION 20:1-7
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
20:2 And he laid hold on the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
20:3 And cast him into the [literally] “bottomless” pit [to be explained], and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of GOD, and which had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
20:6 Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be Priests of GOD, and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Preparing for the Next 2,000 Years
By the mid-60’s A.D., Peter had returned to Jerusalem from the church in Babylonia, in Mesopotamia; where he had imagined he would be martyred; to rejoin the assembly of apostles and elders in Jerusalem where his second epistle could be copied and distributed to churches in the area he had addressed from Babylon in the first epistle. He fully understood the new Revelation and expressed it in his second epistle, criticizing believers who were giving up on all belief because they had become disenchanted by the reversal of what, for some, had resulted in life-changing decisions—such as whether or not to be married.
2 PETER 3:1-6
3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
3:2 That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:
3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of GOD the heavens were of old, and the Earth standing out of the water and in the water [the entire land surface of Earth was never covered by Flood water—vast areas of land surface were covered with glacial ice (which is also water that kills air-breathing land creatures)]:
3:6 Whereby the World [of humans and countless other astonishing species] that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
GENESIS 6:3
6:3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his [remaining] days shall be a hundred and twenty years.
During the one hundred-twenty year “build-up” to the Flood, glacial ice belts, rapidly produced by continual blizzard snow storms, eliminated most life, of every specie, within the former Northern and Southern “temperate” zones. When the Flood was finally “unleashed”, the ash from simultaneous global volcanic eruptions contributed to weeks of torrential sulfuric “acid rain” and rapid melting of the glacial ice belts.
The build-up of the glacial ice belts had lowered sea levels by several hundred feet around the globe revealing new coastal lands on which a few pre-Flood megalithic temple cities were built—which are now submerged—though a few rose to altitudes inhospitable to life as we know it now.
Paradoxically, the polar zones were being warmed by the gradual development of volcanic activity causing the normal polar ice-caps to melt, providing vast areas of cool but temperate climate conducive to the proliferation of flora and fauna created by GOD—including “wooly mammoth” elephants designed to thrive in areas with few predators. The vast Antarctic continent at the “South Pole” had also become temperate and ice free during that period.
The Mt. Ararat volcanic mountain complex in Turkey rose before, during, and after the Flood, though it did not fully erupt, as Noah’s Ark was destined to land near it. As had occurred during the century before the Flood, throughout Earth’s polar regions, the heat emanating from a build-up of underground volcanic activity helped make the post-Flood climate temperate at the base of one of the mountains where the Ark “landed”, and eventually disintegrated, leaving a mud “casting” of itself, which has been found.
It was in that same area that the Garden of Eden had been created as a sort of “living Ark” from which many basic animal species began to be distributed from that “Beginning” point. The same area became a land of new beginnings for the Church of God just before and after the destruction and desolation of Israel in 70 A.D. And it will be the center from which a new evil “world” will spread its influence in fulfillment of many End-Time prophecies.
REVELATION 2:12-13
2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos [Pergamum] write; These things says he which has the sharp sword with two edges;
2:13 I know your works, and where you dwell, even where Satan's seat is: and you hold fast my name, and have not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells [at the time the Revelation was given, in 60 A.D.].
The first century Library of Pergamum, in Asia Minor, was almost as influential as the Library of Alexandria, Egypt. It became the primary, and originating source of parchment or “charta pergamena” after the primary source of papyrus was interrupted, and an alternative, which was much superior in durability compared to plant-based papyrus, was developed from dried, or “parched” sheep and goat skin.
Fleeing the Wrath to Come
It was within the last few tumultuous years before the Roman destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the expulsion of virtually all surviving Jews from Jerusalem and the surrounding land of “Judea” that a small group of loyal original Christian leaders fully understood that the End-Time scenario portrayed in the Revelation was not going to happen according to the 4,000 year plan which they, and the Angel of the LORD had been led to expect.
REVELATION 1:1-3
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which GOD gave unto him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His Angel unto His servant John:
1:2 Who bore record of the word of GOD, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
1:3 Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
MATTHEW 24:33-36
24:33 So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
24:34 Truly I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, until all these things be fulfilled.
24:35 Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
24:36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only.
YAHshua, the Angel of the LORD, was always aware that it would be GOD, his Father, who decided when he would be allowed to fulfill all remaining prophetic promises of his Messiahship, including the transformation of the World into an earthly Kingdom of GOD lasting one thousand years. The final Heavenly Kingdom of GOD on the New Earth will last forever.
The original Church of GOD began in Jerusalem on Pentecost day in 30 A.D. It continued to be headquarters for all of the apostles, and elders (the earliest witnessing disciples in addition to the twelve) who were sent from that central location to areas with potential for the establishment of additional church assemblies.
The Jerusalem church was administrated by YAHshua’s half-brothers James “the less”, “the younger” compared to the apostle James (who was martyred by Herod Agrippa about 44 A.D.); and Jude (Judas), who were converted after their brother’s resurrection and were not commissioned to preach the Gospel as traveling evangelists.
MARK 15:40
15:40 There were also women looking on far off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of [YAHshua], James the “less”, and of Joses; and Salome [sister of Mary, and mother of James and John, sons of Zebedee];
MATTHEW 13:55
13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brothers, James [the “less”, or younger than his cousin James (brother of John)], and Joses, and Simon, and Judas [Jude]?
GALATIANS 1:18-19
1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none [probably because they were away, evangelizing], save [except I did see] James, the Lord's oldest brother [who was not an apostle sent out from Jerusalem].
It is evident that many professional Temple scribes were converted by GOD for the purpose of becoming copyists employed at the Jerusalem headquarters church in the “publishing” of unifying communications sent to outlying churches. Their work became ever more important during the few years prior to 70 A.D. when the aging leadership of the church decided to provide a comprehensive written witness of YAHshua’s ministry and messages, as well as commentary about what was happening in Jerusalem, and they began producing what would become the collection of writings, or scriptures now known as the New Testament.
ACTS 23:9
23:9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man [Paul]: but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against GOD.
Though Paul began writing epistles to those churches of GOD with which he had contact after his miraculous conversion and “Heavenly” experience receiving advanced Christian doctrine from the YAHshua himself, Paul did not write the epistles with the intention of, or understanding that they would become accepted as “holy scriptures” that would carry his messages and advanced theology to the entire World over the next two millennia—to this day.
The final drafts of Paul’s earliest epistles had apparently been copied on parchment allowing them to be preserved in a collection which was hidden and protected within the lining of a special coat. The epistles being dictated by Paul in the early 60’s were transcribed by various Christian “scribes”, copyists, and writers; especially Lucas, or Luke; then reproduced by converted scribes in Jerusalem for distribution to the ones addressed, and others.
PHILEMON 1:22-24
1:22 But likewise prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you [it didn’t happen].
1:23 There salute you Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;
1:24 Marcus [Mark], Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas [Luke], my fellow laborers.
ACTS 24:22-27
24:22 And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of “that Way”, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.
24:23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.
24:24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, willful restraint, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you.
24:26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
24:27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' office: and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
ACTS 28:16
28:16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was allowed to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.
ACTS 28:30-31
28:30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
28:31 Preaching the Kingdom of GOD, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Acts, chapters 21 through 28, detail the events in Jerusalem which, after two years of waiting for a hearing in Caesarea, led to Paul’s lengthy and perilous transport to Rome in the early 60’s A.D., and then, his rather lenient “house arrest” in Rome for at least two years, during which he was able to write several more epistles, or dictate them to Luke—until his apparent execution, probably by “beheading” or decapitation, during a period in which the government at Rome was extremely unstable. There were five Emperors within two years, 68-69 A.D.—Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian.
Vespasian was the father of Titus who commanded the final conquest of Jewish insurrectionists; the expulsion of Jewish survivors from Jerusalem; and the demolition of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D.
By the mid 60’s A.D., it had become clear to all of the apostles that the promised fulfillment of all End-Time prophecy had been postponed once again because of the Church’s apathetic and hostile responses to the Revelation in 60 A.D. Paul sent an urgent message to Timothy instructing him to contact Mark. Mark had begun working with Peter, who had returned to Jerusalem, transcribing Peter’s personally experienced Gospel memoir of YAHshua’s ministry.
Timothy and Mark were directed by Paul to come to him in Rome, bringing with them the “coat”, “book jacket”, or protective wrapping which held Paul’s earlier original epistles preserved on parchment, and the theological “books”, or sections of Hebrew or Greek Septuagint scripture utilized in the production of those epistles.
2 TIMOTHY 4:6-13
4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that Day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
4:9 Do your diligence to come shortly unto me [he knew “his days were numbered”—but not the number of days]:
4:10 For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present World, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
4:12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
4:13 The “coat” that I left at Troas with Carpus, when you come, bring with you, and the books, but especially the parchments.
Troas was the scene of a young man being raised from the dead by Paul’s empowered intervention. On the other hand, it was Paul’s long-winded preaching that inadvertently contributed to the young man’s accidental death!
ACTS 20:4-12
20:4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
20:5 These going before tarried for us at Troas.
20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
20:7 And upon the first day of the week [after sundown, after the seventh-day Sabbath had ended], when the disciples came together to break bread [at dinner time], Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the next day [“Sunday” morning]; and continued his speech until midnight.
20:8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
20:9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third upper room, and was taken up dead.
20:10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
20:11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even until break of day, so he departed.
20:12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
When Timothy and Mark finally arrived in Rome, Paul was able to add his final epistles to the collection of his earlier epistle manuscripts which were being protected at Troas by a trusted associate—Carpus. Paul was also able to have someone read to him an “official” copy of the Revelation given to John in 60 A.D. And Paul put his “trademark stamp of approval” on it.
ROMANS 16:24
16:24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
1 CORINTHIANS 16:23
16:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
GALATIANS 6:18
6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
PHILIPPIANS 4:23
4:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:28
5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
2 THESSALONIANS 3:18
3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
PHILEMON 1:25
1:25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
REVELATION 22:20-21
22:20 He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen.
to which Paul added:
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
After Paul determined what he considered to be the most important of his full collection of epistles and worthy of greater distribution, they were taken back to the area in which the apostles and elders had relocated for extensive copying by church scribes.
Funding for the copying project was probably managed by the apostle Matthew, the former wealthy publican tax collector and government contractor who was one of the original disciples and the author of the Gospel known as Matthew. He may have decided that his own Gospel should be put in first position in the developing canon.
Mark, who was considered to be a “son” by Peter; and Timothy, who was considered to be a “son in the faith” by Paul, returned to the new center of apostolic administration along with Luke, Paul’s long-time devoted friend and personal physician, who had been one of the “other seventy” Jewish disciples of YAHshua from the beginning, leaving Paul to his imminent “departure”.
2 TIMOTHY 4:6
4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
Notice that there is no mention of a “Pope” Peter, on the verge of being crucified upside down as a martyr, by Emperor Nero, while overseeing a thriving “Roman Catholic” Greek and Latin speaking congregation; though he probably spoke only “Galilean” Aramaic.
The most likely scenario was that the church of GOD in Rome was able to survive only because so many of the members were Roman soldiers. Many had been converted during the transfer of Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea, and then more during the perilous transfer of Paul to Rome where he was provided with most of the “comforts of home” during his “house arrest”.
PHILIPPIANS 1:12-14
1:12 But I would you should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel;
1:13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Palace [Praetorium], and in all other places;
1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Luke’s Central Role In the Creation of the New Testament
LUKE 10:1
10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also [including Luke], and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, where he himself would come.
LUKE 1:1-3
1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
1:2 Even as they delivered them unto us [apostles and elders] which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the Word;
1:3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto you in order, most excellent Theophilus [probably Mattathias ben Theophilus, the Jewish High Priest 65-66 A.D. at the start of the insurrection when Luke would have been writing his own Gospel and its extension, called Acts.]
Was Luke the first recorded Jewish doctor to believe that he “had perfect understanding of all things”? I’ve argued with a few who had no interest in hearing my “second opinion” of their “shoot-from-the-lip” diagnoses of problems I’ve had. Sometimes a patient knows more about his own problems than a doctor can determine without asking any questions. And they have no patience with patients who question them about their questionable diagnoses.
The apostles and elders were wise enough to finally escape the increasingly dangerous revolutionary environment of Jerusalem, and almost certainly moved to the relatively safe city of Philadelphia in Western Asia Minor from which John administrated the “seven churches” named in the Revelation.
The arrival of Mark, Timothy, and Luke ensured the proper reception and handling of the finalized parchment “originals” of the epistles which Paul had chosen; which had probably been re-produced by Luke from “rough drafts” which Paul had dictated to him through their years of association. Apparently Dr. Luke could write more legibly than any other Jewish doctor in modern history (a reference to prescription penmanship).
Luke began to live near the home of John, and soon became a valuable addition to the community which included YAHshua’s other two “blood” brothers, Joses, and Simon, and his sisters, including his mother Mary, in her mid-eighties at the time. She, and her sister Salome; John’s mother; had been living within the home-base of John’s administration of the churches of GOD in Asia Minor since 30 A.D. Mary provided Luke with the intimate and personal information of her role, and Joseph’s role in YAHshua’s early life as the human Son of GOD.
JOHN 19:25-27
19:25 Now there stood by the “cross” of Jesus his mother [Mary], and his mother's sister [Salome, the mother of the disciples James and John], Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved [John], he says unto his mother [Mary], Woman, behold your “son” [consider John your “son” in regard to taking care of your future needs]!
19:27 Then says he to the disciple, Behold your “mother” [consider your aunt Mary as “another mother”]! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home [where Mary’s sister Salome already lived].
The city of Philadelphia had been named by a king of Lydia in honor of his loyal brother. Philadelphos means “loving brother”. It had also been known as “the missionary city” because of its strategic location enabling it to become a prosperous center for the peaceful spread of the Greek language throughout the area since its location spared it from use as a military center.
Its future had been pre-determined as it became a center for the loving brotherhood of aging apostles and elders who were devoted to peaceful missionary administration once the Jerusalem headquarters Church became unstable and infiltrated by hostile supporters of the Jewish insurrection against Roman control, beginning in the mid-60’s A.D.
It should have always been obvious that no ordinary church of GOD could have earned the glowing reputation, or deserved the extreme honor that the Lord bestowed on the church in Philadelphia unless it was continually influenced by the wisdom and loving loyalty of various apostles, other elders, and “kinfolk” of YAHshua.
REVELATION 3:7-13
3:7 And to the “angel” [spirit representation] of the church in Philadelphia write; These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens;
3:8 I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.
3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan [those hypocritical abusers of authority within the Temple administration who were becoming more and more unrestrained and immoral as described by James, and Jude, below], which say they are “Jews” and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet [God-like status], and to know that I have loved you.
3:10 Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation [testing], which shall come upon all the World, to try them that dwell upon the Earth.
3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown.
3:12 Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the Temple of my GOD, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my GOD [YAHWH], and the name of the City of my GOD, which is New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from my GOD: and I will write upon him [or her] my new name [the new name that now applies only to the Logos (the “First Atom” and the “last Adam”), and will be given to his collective “Bride”, created from a “small” portion of his “Body”—the Church—as Eve was created from a “small” portion of the “first Adam’s” body].
3:13 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [the Lord, YAHshua] says unto the [Christian/Messianic] churches.
YAHshua’s brothers James and Jude clearly expressed the opinion of “Messianic Christians” in the Jerusalem church headquarters who were still loyal and able to observe the increasing social rebelliousness and insurrection of those who were dishonoring YAHshua’s “Father’s House” with warmongering and abuse of the wealth contained within the Temple—and were making a mockery of Christianity by their immoral social rebellion.
JAMES 5:1-8
5:1 Go to now, you rich men, weep and wail for your miseries that shall come upon you.
5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days.
5:4 Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth [hosts, or armies].
5:5 You have lived in pleasure on the Earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
5:6 You have condemned and killed the just [YAHshua]; and he does not resist you [yet].
5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the Earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
5:8 Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near [but not in the same manner as originally planned].
JUDE 1:1-4
1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by GOD the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
1:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was necessary for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints [the apostles and elders who were no longer in Jerusalem].
1:4 For there are certain men crept in unexpectedly, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our GOD into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord GOD, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
JUDE 1:8
1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
JUDE 1:17-19
1:17 But, beloved, remember you the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ [who were no longer in Jerusalem];
1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
When Peter began to compose his second epistle, he was about eighty years old. He apparently stayed in Jerusalem as the only remaining apostolic authority in that location, and was witnessing the worsening conditions along with two of the Lord’s brothers, James and Jude, who administrated the Jerusalem church. Peter almost certainly wished that he could “stretch forth his hands” and “fly like an angel” to Philadelphia in Asia Minor (like “Superman”). Such supernatural “translocation” was known to be a procedure used by the Lord.
ACTS 8:26-39
8:26 And the Angel of the LORD spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the South unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem in order to worship,
8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.
8:29 Then the Spirit [the Angel of the LORD] said unto Philip, Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.
8:30 And Philip ran there to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understand you what you read?
8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb, dumb [mute] before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the Earth.
8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom speaks the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water, and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what does hinder me to be baptized?
8:37 And Philip said, If you believe with your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD.
8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.
Peter had been able to travel under his own power to the church at Babylon in Mesopotamia, and back, several years earlier. And lo (look) and behold, his second epistle makes it apparent that he was supernaturally transported to Philadelphia (“on the wings of an eagle” or angel) where he could join all of his dozens of old friends—the other apostles, except for James and Paul, and the elders who were among the original missionaries; including Luke.
2 PETER 1:1-2
1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them [still in Jerusalem] that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ:
1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of GOD, and of Jesus our Lord,
2 PETER 1:13-14
1:13 Yes, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle [he was about eighty] even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me.
PSALMS 90:10
90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten [seventy]; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years [eighty], yet is their “strength” labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
JOHN 21:18
21:18 Truly, truly, I say unto you, When you were young, you gird yourself, and walked where you would: but when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands, and another shall gird [“girdle”, or hold] you, and carry you where you would not [would not be able to travel to, under your own power].
2 PETER 1:15-16 continuing
1:15 Moreover, I will endeavour that you may be able, after my decease [he assumed] to have these things always in remembrance [in written form on copied manuscripts].
1:16 For we [Peter and John] have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [Only Peter, James, and John were eyewitnesses to the “transfiguration” in which a preview of YAHshua’s glorified embodiment, and that of Moses and Elijah, was presented in a vision. When Peter wrote that, James had been martyred, but Peter was with John, and the other apostles and elders.]
MATTHEW 17:1-8
17:1 And after six days Jesus takes Peter, James, and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart,
17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the Sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
17:5 While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear you him.
17:6 And when the [three] disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
2 PETER 1:20-21
1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of GOD spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
2 PETER 2:1-3
2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in [into the Church; especially the church of Jerusalem] damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the Way of Truth shall be evil spoken of.
2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not.
2 PETER 2:9-10
2:9 The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of temptations [testing], and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished:
2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Arrogant are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
2 PETER 2:19-22
2:19 While they promise them liberty [from Roman domination] they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2:21 For it had been better for them [former “believers” in Jerusalem] not to have known the Way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
2 PETER 3:1-4
3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you [those still in Jerusalem]; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
3:2 That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles [“us, the apostles”] of the Lord and Savior [Peter was with the other apostles when he wrote the second epistle!]:
3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? [many former Christian believers who were Jews, “fell away” once it was known that the fulfillment of the Revelation would be postponed] for since the “ancestral” fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2 PETER 3:8-9
3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one “day” is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one “day” [in the Master Plan of GOD].
3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any [of us] should perish, but that all should come to repentance [especially those who were abandoning the faith in Jerusalem, and joining the insurrectionists].
2 PETER 3:13-18
3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
3:14 Wherefore, beloved [in Jerusalem], seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you [in the book of Hebrews];
3:16 As also in all his epistles [Peter had a chance to read all of Paul’s epistles, which indicates where Peter was, and that he was certain that Paul had not written any more epistles, after Luke, Timothy, and Mark left him imprisoned in Rome in order to bring “all his epistles” to the new apostolic headquarters, which was no longer in Jerusalem], speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable shift, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction [referring to the insurrectionists].
3:17 You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
What Happened to the Apostles and Elders?
Earlier, I presented a proposal of why the original disciples, and the many other eye-witnesses of the life, and continuation of life, of YAHshua the Messiah, “mysteriously disappeared” without leaving any evidence that most of them ever existed—including most of the apostles.
The Lord prophesied that they will be eternally honored as the “foundation stones” on which the spirit Church of GOD figuratively rests. Is there any evidence that most of the original twelve apostles ever did anything to deserve that eternal honor? Not yet!
When the Revelation was given, it was expected that all prophecy would have been completely fulfilled long ago. There was no plan for the last “two thousand” years of human history as we know it—including the existence of billions of humans who will eventually have an opportunity to live eternally, once they understand how to qualify.
1 TIMOTHY 2:3-6
2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of GOD our Savior;
2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2:5 For there is one GOD, and one mediator between GOD and men, the man Christ Jesus;
2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
EPHESIANS 2:19-22
2:19 Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of GOD;
2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a Holy Temple in the Lord:
2:22 In whom you also are built together for a habitation of GOD through the Spirit.
REVELATION 21:10-14
21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from GOD,
21:11 Having the glory of GOD: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
21:13 On the East three gates; on the North three gates; on the South three gates; and on the West three gates.
21:14 And the wall of the City had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Obviously, the congregation of original apostles and elders who were still alive in the late 60’s A.D. were not expected to continue their former activities as traveling missionaries. But the most important days of their lives were not able to be fulfilled when the forty year postponement became a two “millennia” postponement. Their roles as the primary authoritative End-Time witnesses cannot be fulfilled until the End-Time.
Thus, they were “taken away”—not by being “raptured”, or “raptored” by angelic “eagles”—but simply by disappearing, as their human lives and consciousness were suspended “in the Spirit of GOD” until the End-Time finally begins—just as has been done to Enoch, Elijah, and many other prophets, such as Moses.
The Apostle John Completes the New Testament Canon of Christian Scripture
But John was left, for a while, after the others were “gone”, so that he could finalize what would be included in the collection of Christian writings which would be copied repeatedly by church scribes far from Jerusalem in the years following the slaughter or expulsion of Jewish anarchists in 70 A.D. And because he was still alive; finishing his Gospel, and working on the final canonizing of the “New Testament”; it was supposed that he would never die.
JOHN 21:23-25 (verses 23 and 24 were added by editors working with John)
21:23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple [John] should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry until I come, what is that to you?
21:24 This is the disciple [John] which testifies of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is [not, was] true.
21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I [John] suppose that even the World itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
After John learned the final outcome of the insurrection by those Jewish rebels who had no respect for the Temple, or for those attempting to maintain civilized behavior in Jerusalem, he began to use the term “the Jews” in his writing, in a manner that can sound derogatory. It was his intention to differentiate “the Jews” who were Jewish in ethnicity only, from those who were “Jews in spirit and in truth”—even those who weren’t fully Jewish by ethnicity.
In 60 A.D. the Lord had already condemned any murderous religious supremacists (as Paul had been), considering them unworthy of the honorable name “Jew”, as he had stated in the Revelation.
REVELATION 3:9
3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan [those Temple “authorities” that were continuing to harass and threaten Messianic Christians—especially in Jerusalem—all of whom were Jewish], which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
ROMANS 2:25-29
2:25 For circumcision truly profits, if you keep the Law: but if you be a breaker of the Law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision.
2:26 Therefore if the “uncircumcision” [a Gentile] keeps the righteousness of the Law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
2:27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the Law, judge you, who by the letter and circumcision do transgress the Law?
2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision [required], which is outward in the flesh:
2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and [whose] circumcision is that of the “heart” [mind], in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of GOD.
DEUTERONOMY 10:16
10:16 “Circumcise” therefore the “foreskin” of your “heart” [mind, or spirit], and be no more stubborn.
DEUTERONOMY 30:6
30:6 And the Lord your God will “ circumcise your “heart”, and the “heart” of your seed, to love the Lord your God with your “heart”, and with all your soul, that you may live.
John finally completed his Gospel—though all of them were the Gospel of Jesus Christ—shortly after the slaughter and expulsion of “the Jews” which had been supporting the overthrow of the Roman government in Jerusalem and had attempted to “take the Kingdom by force”, using the Jerusalem Temple as an armed fortress rather than waiting for GOD to fulfill His prophetic promises on His time schedule—not theirs—or even the schedule that His Angel, YAHshua the Messiah believed was imminent in 60 A.D.—until it was postponed.
After 70 A.D., trained scribes who became converted to Messianic Christianity, were also responsible for the continuation of accurate copying and limited transmission of the enormous work known as the writings of Josephus, who was literally born to provide an authoritative and balanced eye-witness history of exactly what was happening when “Israel” once again tempted GOD to destroy them and expel them from the promised land; made unholy, once again, by their behavior.
And GOD’s opinion of the churches of GOD, other than the church in Philadelphia, as communicated through His Angel YAHshua, was not much better than His opinion of that generation of Israel in general. There was not much difference between the two because many of the churches had been infiltrated by “Temple Jews” and Pharisees determined to destroy the new faith of Jewish converts who had begun to expand their understanding of YAHshua’s fulfillment of many of the Messianic prophecies found throughout the Hebrew scriptures.
The fourteen epistles, in original final-manuscript form on parchment, which Paul had chosen, were delivered by Luke, Timothy, and Mark, to John and the other apostles, elders, and copyists in the Philadelphia church. It was John who had the authority and responsibility to add to Paul’s collection of epistles the recently written Gospel of “Matthew”; the Gospel of “Mark” (on behalf of Peter), written a few years earlier; and the Gospel of “Luke”; with Luke’s historical extension known as “Acts”, which he terminated when he left Paul to his fate and traveled with Timothy and Mark to Philadelphia.
Also added were the two letters from the apostle Peter, both of which Mark probably transcribed while translating them into Greek, because Peter spoke Aramaic; and copies of two political opinion “newsletters” from YAHshua’s half-brothers James and Jude who continued to minister to those Christians still in Jerusalem who needed guidance.
To those twenty-two “books” of scripture, John added the Revelation exactly as it had been transmitted to him before GOD’s End-Time postponement, but with the six additions referring to a thousand years, and Paul’s comment at the end; three short epistles; now known as 1, 2, and 3 John; “inspired” by the negative feedback and rejection he had gotten from several churches of GOD after the first distribution of the Revelation in 60 A.D.—especially some of those in Asia Minor which he administrated—and finally, his own Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD, totaling the twenty-seven “books” of what is now called the New Testament
Gold Mining
The Bible has never been a storage vault full of pure “spiritual gold”. It is a spiritual “gold mine” full of valueless “ore”, including some “fool’s gold” that too many assume is “inerrant” and personally inspired by GOD. Few have made any effort to “prove” that all scripture is inerrant and personally inspired by GOD; and wouldn’t know how to “prove” it if they wanted to. Few have any idea what most of the scriptures say. And the one “scripture” that has been misinterpreted to supposedly “prove” that each and every “scripture” is inspired and profitable, neither proves or demonstrates that, nor says what it appears to say.
ISAIAH 28:9-10
28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
GOD says you can find a little bit of knowledge here, and a little bit there in the collective “Word”, or words of GOD which were given to prophets of old, if you make the effort to move past a simplified “Sunday school” level of doctrinal awareness. Paul said the same thing:
HEBREWS 5:12-14
5:12 For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of GOD; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong food.
5:13 For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
5:14 But strong food belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
But even those who think they do know what all scripture says, can make themselves worse than ignorant if they attempt to use the scripture to control others by pretending that GOD has given them authority to enforce His laws. He hasn’t, and only gives each of us authority to control ourselves, as soon as we are able to do so.
ISAIAH 28:13
28:13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
That doesn’t sound like all scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof instruction in righteousness. It sounds like the “word of the Lord” has more usefulness as a trap and a means of revealing the spiritual ignorance of self-anointed Bible experts who use the Bible to support their own agendas of abusive control of others rather than to support GOD’s agenda of freedom to control one’s self.
Many religious “leaders” who believe without doubt that 2 Timothy 3:16 has been translated exactly right, are more likely to put the focus of “profitable for reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness” on others, rather than themselves. It’s easy to neglect correcting oneself when one is busy reproving, correcting, and instructing others in the finer points of unnecessary “religious righteousness”.
The scriptures that are truly profitable usually “speak for themselves” by providing an array of examples of GOD’s universal judgment of bad behavior, and the “automatic punishments” which usually follow bad behavior without GOD’s direct involvement. That should enable almost anyone with easy access to scripture, to instruct himself about how to avoid such troubles if he tries to learn what scripture says about behavior that actually pleases GOD—which does not include “religious righteousness.”
1 CORINTHIANS 10:6
10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:11-12
10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the World are come.
10:12 Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
PROVERBS 2:1-12
2:1 My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you;
2:2 So that you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
2:3 Yes, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding;
2:4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;
2:5 Then shall you understand the fear of [respect for] the Lord, and find the knowledge of GOD.
2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
2:7 He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous. He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
2:8 He keeps the paths of judgment, and preserves the way of his saints.
2:9 Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yes, every good path.
2:10 When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your soul;
2:11 Discretion shall preserve you, understanding shall keep you:
2:12 To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaks perverse things;
To use another scriptural analogy; searching for and finding instructive “scripture” or writing that is inspired by GOD, and is profitable as a guide that directs one to the path into the Kingdom of Heaven, is like finding a “pearl of great price”.
PROVERBS 23:23
23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
MATTHEW 13:44-46
13:44 Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
13:45 Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Regrettably, many do not want to personally search for the “pearls of wisdom” that can be found throughout the Bible, and they “buy” what some huckster “evangelist” is selling on television with promises that if you literally buy whatever he is selling, or “offering”, GOD will pour out health and wealth upon you right now, even though most believers will not experience a supernatural outpouring of health and wealth until after they have entered the earthly Kingdom of Heaven in the future.
Don’t let some “evangelist” “oyster shucker” sell you fake “pearls”, or other phony “miracle healing” trinkets. Tell him to go “shuck” himself. “Oy vey” to him. But if you do search for scriptural “pearls of wisdom”, be prepared to open and examine a lot of “dead scripture oysters” before you find a “pearl” of great value which has been inspired by GOD and is profitable for doctrine, and instruction in the form of righteousness which will qualify you for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.
MATTHEW 5:19-20
5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the [external façade of] righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
MATTHEW 6:33
6:33 But seek you first the Kingdom of GOD, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
There is no reason to believe that any of the variations of published “King James” versions is a perfectly executed translation of inerrant copies of copies of copies of fragments of copies used as a basis for the current form of the King James English translation. The “King James” translators did not “simply” translate directly from the Masoretic Hebrew Text; and “perfectly inerrant” Greek Christian manuscripts—there weren’t any. Many sources, including previous published English translations of the Bible, were used to achieve an accurate, but obviously not inerrant, “King’s English” translation.
The original King James Version included many apocryphal books not considered to be “scripture inspired by GOD” by most Protestants, primarily because they have not been included between the covers of current King James Versions published within the lifetimes of all who are alive now.
If the apocryphal books had continued to be included between the “Old and New Testaments”, many Protestants would probably feel obligated to accept them as part of the “all scripture” supposedly inspired by GOD in spite of the nonsense mingled with the accurate historical content of some of the books.
“Catholic Bibles” continue to include apocryphal books, but most Catholics have been taught that they will be taught the proper interpretation and application of “church” doctrine by the priesthood, and that independent analysis of scripture is unnecessary, and often discouraged.
In Germany, in the early 1500’s, the Catholic monk and priest, Martin Luther, justifiably rejected; in a public debate; a few un-Christian Catholic traditions—for example, priests selling phony “indulgences”, or unnecessary “pardons” for past “sins” of deceased Catholics whose souls were supposedly suffering in “purgatory”; or unauthorized “pardons” for “sins” committed by Catholics who were still alive; and probably actually suffering in the real World.
Yet he still agreed with much traditional Catholic belief, which formed the broad basis of his theological training. And he continued to cling to some Catholic traditions throughout the rest of his life—such as belief in “transubstantiation”, which he redefined as “consubstantiation”. His famous “95 theses”, which he posted as a notice encouraging public discussion of his earliest protestations were his first stomps into “protestantism”.
Of course, doctrinal disagreement has never been accepted within the Catholic form of authoritarian government which was patterned after that of the Roman Empire when Emperor Constantine was finally convinced by his mother to “convert” to Christianity in the early 300’s A.D.
Constantine’s degree of sincerity in regard to his “conversion” is still questioned, but it resulted in much greater public and military tolerance toward most of the Christian leaders and their followers in the Roman Empire, especially those church leaders in and around Rome who were more than eager to enhance their existing ecclesiastical control through full partnership with ”the State”—in complete doctrinal disagreement with an important teaching of Jesus Christ.
MATTHEW 20:25-28
20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
20:28 Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
One of the most amazing transformations that occurred after Constantine apparently became a Christian, was the gradual “Christianizing” of the existing ancient idolatrous worship system throughout the Empire. And the transformation wasn’t necessarily something evil; as many Protestant anti-Catholics seem to think. What many Protestants believe was the “paganizing” of Christianity, was just the opposite. It was the “Christianizing” of almost “universal” or “catholic” pagan traditions.
There was no need for anyone to dispose of their “pagan” idols or ‘dolls. They were simply renamed in honor of famous historical, if not real, “Catholic saints”. There was no need to give up ancient idolatrous “holidays”, with all of their associated symbolism and celebration. They were imaginatively transmogrified into new “Christian holy days” with “deep” Christian significance, such as “Easter” (Ishtar) and “Christmas” (“Christ’s mass”), or “Xmas” using the Greek symbol Χ for Christ. The end-of-the-week Sabbath was “moved” to the first day of the week—“Sun-day”.
Moses warned Israel not to reject the forms of religious service, such as the Holy Days, or “Feast Days”, or “holy convocations” commanded by the Lord, while embracing ancient idolatrous customs which were, in many cases, the same as the Egyptian religious practices of most of their parents—the Exodus generation.
DEUTERONOMY 12:29-32
12:29 When the Lord your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you go to possess them, and you succeed them, and dwell in their land;
12:30 Take heed to yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise [as their parents had done in Egypt].
12:31 You shall not do so unto the Lord your God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hates, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods [that was not done by the Israelites in Egypt—but it was done in some of the generations of Israel and Judah after the reign of King Solomon].
12:32 Whatsoever I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
JEREMIAH 32:34-35
32:34 But they set their abominations in the House [the Temple], which is called by my name, to defile it.
32:35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom [“Gehenna”], to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
LEVITICUS 23:1-6
23:1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the Feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations [convoked, or commanded assemblies], even these are my Feasts.
23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the [weekly] Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
23:4 These are the [annual] Feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their seasons.
23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month [Abib, or Nisan] at even [after sundown, which begins the fourteenth day] is the Lord's Passover [the time during which YAHshua, the Lord, had his “last supper” as a mortal human with his disciples. Do not confuse it with the Jews’ “Feast of Passover”, or “Feast of Unleavened Bread” which is observed after Passover day, after sundown, the start of the fifteenth].
23:6 And [beginning] on the fifteenth day of the same month [at sundown ending the fourteenth day] is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto the Lord: seven days you must eat unleavened bread [during the Days of Unleavened Bread].
MARK 14:1-2
14:1 After two days was the Feast of the Passover, and [Feast] of Unleavened Bread [the same event]: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
14:2 But they said, Not on the Feast day [the fifteenth], lest there be an uproar of the people.
LUKE 22:1
22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the [Feast of] Passover.
JOHN 13:1-2
13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover [a full day earlier, at the beginning of the fourteenth—“the Lord’s Passover”], when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this World unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the World, he loved them unto the end.
13:2 And supper [the Lord’s Passover—not the Feast of Passover, or Feast of Unleavened Bread] being ended, the Devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him . . .
The “Feast of Unleavened Bread” became known as the “Feast of Passover” when (unlike the original Passover in Egypt during the night of the fourteenth) Passover lambs were slaughtered in Jerusalem during the afternoon of the fourteenth to prepare them for the Feast that evening, which featured roasted lambs which had been sacrificed that afternoon. A highly ritualized alternative to an actual feast featuring roasted lamb is now observed by millions, which is called the Seder, and generally includes a roasted shank bone of a lamb.
EXODUS 12:46
12:43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:
12:44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
12:45 A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.
12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth any of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone thereof.
Apparently, religious Jews believe none of that applies any more. They’re right. It won’t apply until the Messianic Kingdom of GOD is established, and all of its Holy Days are regulated by whatever “observances” the Messiah will require at that time.
ZECHARIAH 14:1-7
14:1 Behold, the Day of the Lord comes, and your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you.
14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses ransacked, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
14:3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the East, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the North, and half of it toward the South.
14:5 And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yes, you shall flee, like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with you.
14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light [which is why no one will know the day, nor the hour that the Messiah/Christ has come—though it will be more than obvious that he has come].
MATTHEW 25:13
25:13 Watch therefore, for you [will] know neither the [literal] day, nor the hour wherein the Son of Man comes [because of supernatural alteration of all predictable indicators in the “heavens”].
ZECHARIAH 14:8-21 continuing
14:8 And it shall be in that “Day” [a lengthy time period covering months], that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former Sea, and half of them toward the hinder Sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
14:9 And the Lord shall be king over all the Earth: in that “Day” shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
14:10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon South of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.
14:11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will strike all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
14:13 And it shall come to pass in that “Day”, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
14:14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
14:15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the [surrounding] nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the Earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
14:18 And if the family [official representatives] of Egypt [or any other restored nation] go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will strike the heathen that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
14:20 In that “Day” shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto the Lord; and the pots in the Lord's House shall be like the bowls before the altar.
14:21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that “Day” there shall be no more the “Canaanite” in the House of the LORD of hosts.
Only relevant symbolic sacrificing—such as the sacrificing of lambs for Passover—will be re-instituted in Jerusalem at the beginning of the World-wide transformation of religion and government around the Globe. There will be no continuing need for the elaborate sacrificial ritualism of the Old Covenant once the New Covenant and its advanced theology is fully established.
The Lord God of Israel (the Angel of the LORD, who will be the Messiah/Christ of the World) has predicted many things which he has rescinded, or reconfigured. Any unfulfilled prophecies or plans he has made are subject to alteration. The entire Bible “shouts” that GOD the Unlimited does not bind Himself to fulfilling every curse that His Angel has pronounced. Thank GOD for that!
LEVITICUS 23:7-8 continuing
23:7 In the first day [of seven—the fifteenth day of the first month] you shall have a holy convocation [the first Holy Day of the year]: you shall do no servile [“servant”] work therein.
23:8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day [the twenty-first day of the first month] is a holy convocation: you shall do no servile work therein.
NUMBERS 28:16-17
28:16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord[the day on which YAHshua of Nazareth, the “Lamb of GOD”, was slaughtered in 30 A.D.]
28:17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the Feast [of “Passover”]: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
28:18 In the first day [of the seven days of eating unleavened bread] shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no manner of servile work therein:
EZEKIEL 45:21
45:21 In the first month, in [during] the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the [Lord’s] Passover [day—not a Holy Day], [then] a Feast [or “festival of Passover”] of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
The original “Lord’s Passover” in Egypt was during the night of the fourteenth. The Lord, or Angel of the LORD actually passed over those Israelite dwellings which were “saved by the blood of a lamb”. All Israelites were warned to stay inside that entire night. It was the following night—of the fifteenth—in which Israel began to exit Egypt—the “exodus”.
EXODUS 12:21-24
12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the “passover”.
12:22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
12:23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in unto your houses to strike you.
12:24 And you shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons for ever.
In spite of many Christian scriptures stating that the weekly seventh day Sabbath, and the seven annual Sabbaths, or Holy Days were observed by the original Christians—all of whom were Jews—and through many generations thereafter; and will be observed again in the Millennial Kingdom of GOD; and in spite of the fact that the symbolic meaning attached to those Holy Days in the Old Covenant have been superseded by very profound Christian/Messianic symbolism in the New Covenant, confirmed by the Messiah; it was easier to “Christianize” the ingrained traditions of the majority within Constantine’s Empire than it was to “Christianize” the minds of the majority.
But any move away from 100% idolatry toward Christianity is a good thing; as long as it is a move toward some form of Christianity based on the foundational teachings of the writers of the New Testament, and isn’t a move toward some form of “Christianity” that is just a “movement”—so to speak—such as the one that eventually encouraged self-righteous “Protestant” hatred toward “Catholics” and unjustified condemnation of their “image and icon enhanced” worship activity; equating it with demonic idolatry, which GOD does hate.
And as usual—when rebel “freedom leaders”, or “freedom fighters” disagree about the definition of “freedom”—competing factions of the new “Protestantism” began to appear; quarreling, and even warring among themselves, and with Catholic loyalists, about which of them was the “only true Church of God”. That “superiority complex” has led to senseless, and usually unjustified propaganda wars between “Protestant” and “Catholic” Christians that have continued around the Earth through the present.
JAMES 4:1-4
4:1 From where come wars and fightings among you? come they not behind, even of your lusts that war in your members?
4:2 You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.
4:3 You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.
4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the World is enmity with GOD? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the World [“embracing” the immoral behaviors of “the World”—especially warmongering and revolutionary violence—“loving war”] is the enemy of GOD.
Martin Luther is commonly credited as being the first to translate Greek and Latin New Testament scripture into German. That is not true. Numerous German translations had been produced before Luther’s “translation” was published, and had become known to the public to a degree that they are now part of well-documented history. You may want to read the article by Andrew C. Gow at the following website for more than you will ever need to know about pre-Luther German Bibles.
http://www.jhsonline.org/Articles/article_115.pdf
Whatever credit Luther might have deserved for making the Bible more accessible to German readers, he deflected attention away from several important New Testament “books” with his disparaging remarks in his “prefaces”. He had a very low opinion of the value of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation. His own pompous, bloviating, “holier than everyone” attitude of theological supremacy emboldened others to openly disrespect anything within traditionally accepted scripture that interfered with their own ability to exercise dictatorial power over others.
JAMES 1:26
1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue [or his “pen”], but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Why would Martin Luther denigrate the Revelation; besides being unable to comprehend any of it—or relate it to all End-Time prophecy throughout the Old Testament? A presumably accurate English translation of Luther’s 1522 A.D. preface to his German “translation” of the Revelation reveals this:
“About this book of the Revelation of John, I leave everyone free to hold his own opinions. I would not have anyone bound to my opinion or judgment. I say what I feel. I miss more than one thing in this book, and it makes me consider it to be neither apostolic nor prophetic.
First and foremost, the apostles do not deal with visions, but prophesy in clear and plain words, as do Peter and Paul, and Christ in the gospel. For it befits the apostolic office to speak clearly of Christ and his deeds, without images and visions. Moreover there is no prophet in the Old Testament, to say nothing of the New, who deals so exclusively with visions and images. For myself, I think it approximates the Fourth Book of Esdras; I can in no way detect that the Holy Spirit produced it.”
“Finally, let everyone think of it as his own spirit leads him. My spirit cannot accommodate itself to this book. For me this is reason enough not to think highly of it: Christ is neither taught nor known in it. But to teach Christ, this is the thing which an apostle is bound above all else to do; as Christ says in Acts 1, "You shall be my witnesses." Therefore I stick to the books which present Christ to me clearly and purely.”
quoted from—http://www.bible-researcher.com/antilegomena.html
also see—http://www.bible-researcher.com/index.html
Those are some incredibly dunder-headed remarks from a person who should have understood every word that he claimed to have translated into German—all by himself. The Revelation is full of “Jesus Christ” from beginning to end.
REVELATION 1:1-8 (from beginning)
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which GOD gave unto him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He [GOD] sent and signified it by His Angel [the Lord, Jesus Christ] unto His servant John:
1:2 Who bore record of the word of GOD, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
1:3 Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His [GOD’s] Throne;
1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the Firstborn of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the Earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
1:6 And has made us kings and priests unto GOD, his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1:7 Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all families of the Earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
REVELATION 22:1-16 (to end)
22:1 And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of GOD, and of the Lamb.
22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the Tree of Life, which bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the health of the nations.
22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the Throne of GOD and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him:
22:4 And they shall see His [GOD’s] face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.
22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the Sun; for the LORD GOD gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
22:6 And he [the Angel of the LORD, in vision] said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the LORD GOD of the holy prophets sent His Angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done.
22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the Angel [of the LORD] which showed me these things.
22:9 Then says he unto me, See you do it not: for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship GOD. [Even though he has been restored to his former glory, YAHshua is still not allowing anyone to refer to him, or worship him as “God”, as he did as the Spirit Angel of the LORD, when he “was God” before being transformed into a mortal human by his Father, GOD.]
22:10 And he says unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
22:14 Blessed are they that do His [GOD’s] commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the City.
22:15 For without are “dogs” [male idol temple prostitutes, also called “sodomites”], and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers [warmongers—those who “sell” wars; figuratively and literally], and idolaters, and whosoever loves [a lie] and makes a lie.
22:16 I Jesus [the personified Angel of the LORD GOD, the Father] have sent my [own] “angel” [Jesus’ own Spirit visualization, or “angel presence”, able to instantly embody himself as a “slain lamb”; a “burning bush”; or a “burning mountain”] to testify unto you these things in the churches [the “angel” of each church was a Spirit vision visualization of each church congregation in which Jesus’ own “angel” gave his pronouncement]. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
REVELATION 2:1
2:1 Unto the “angel” of the church of Ephesus write; These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
REVELATION 5:5-7
5:5 And one of the Elders says unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the Throne and of the four “Beasts”, and in the midst of the Elders, stood a Lamb as [if] it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of GOD sent forth into all the Earth.
5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of Him [GOD the Father] that sat upon the Throne.
DEUTERONOMY 4:11-12
4:11 And you came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
4:12 And the Lord [the Angel of the LORD] spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire: you heard the voice of the words, but saw no embodiment [other than the entire Mount Horeb, or Sinai]; you only heard a voice.
REVELATION 22:17-21 continuing
22:17 And the Spirit [of Christ] and the Bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely.
22:18 For I [the Angel of the LORD] testify unto every man that hears [or reads, or explains, or denigrates] the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things [claiming it was part of John’s original work], GOD shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
22:19 And if any man [Christian copyist, or Biblical expositor/commentator] shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy [the Revelation of Jesus Christ], GOD shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book.
22:20 He [the Angel of the LORD—Jesus Christ] which testifies these things [especially the warning]says, Surely I come quickly.
Amen
(to which Paul added his “trademark stamp of approval”)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. [in the name of the Lord, which is] Amen
Perhaps Luther didn’t read the first and last chapters of Revelation, or any of the other chapters, while he was “translating” them.
Martin Luther’s entire personal and public theology and post-Catholic life-style was built on the premise that forgiveness of sin by the grace of GOD is so overwhelming and automatic that it doesn’t really matter what a person thinks or does in his life after supposedly “believing in Jesus Christ”—GOD has, essentially, already forgiven it; presumably because He “enjoys’ forgiving sin so much; or can’t control His compulsion to forgive every sin. Unfortunately, for those who believe and teach such heresy, which leads to immorality; the Lord, Jesus Christ has made it clear that he hates that “doctrine”.
REVELATION 2:12 and 15-17
2:12 And to the “angel” [Spirit visualization of the congregation] of the church in Pergamos write; These things says he which has the sharp “sword” with two edges [the Lord, YAHshua];
2:15 So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the “sword” of my mouth.
2:17 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [Jesus Christ] says unto the churches . . .
The “doctrine of the Nicolaitanes” is properly understood to be a heretical misapplication of forgiveness by grace, or graciousness from GOD, turning it into license to engage in any questionable activity you want to do—licentiousness. Simply ask GOD for forgiveness, and He will “forget” you did it—no pay-offs to priests; no “purgatorial” punishments; no problem.
ROMANS 3:8
3:8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
ROMANS 6:1-2
6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
6:2 GOD forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
JOHN 2:3-7
2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous:
2:2 And he is the propitiation [atonement] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole World.
2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep His commandments.
2:4 He that says, I know him, and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
2:5 But whoso keeps His word, in him truly is the love of GOD perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
2:6 He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.
LEVITICUS 19:17-18
19:17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart: you shall in any way rebuke your neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.
19:18 You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
LEVITICUS 19:33-34
19:33 And if a stranger [foreign immigrant] sojourn with you in your land, you shall not vex him.
19:34 But the stranger that dwells with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
JOHN 2:8-11
2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines.
2:9 He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.
2:10 He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.
2:11 But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.
The deepening animosity that the former Roman Catholic monk Luther developed for the hierarchy of “Catholicism” earlier in his life, was restrained in comparison to his raging bigotry toward Jews, for no legitimate reason—unless one “converted” to his way of thinking; especially those in Germany. If this is news to you, please read,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_and_antisemitism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Jews_and_Their_Lies
This is only one source of research work available on the Internet revealing the evil side of Martin Luther’s “theology”. They are very easy to find.
Thanks to Martin Luther’s “literary” efforts, scripture began, once again, to be used as a divisive, warmongering weapon—especially much of the Old Testament scripture recorded by the prophets of Israel and Judah which graphically exposes the appropriately judgmental and hostile attitude communicated openly at times by the God of Israel (the Angel the LORD) after his repeated observance of Israelites, or “Jews” in several consecutive generations engaging in demonic idolatrous rejection of every reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness he tried to instill in them.
If one reads any excerpt from the English translations of the final published “works” of Martin Luther—or the German reproductions, if you are able—one will see clear evidence that he had become another author and originator of un-Godly religion-based hatred and violence toward Jews. Many of his end-of-life published diatribes against all Jews became common references in early twentieth century Nazi propaganda. Since the 1980’s, several Lutheran Church spokesmen have officially denounced Luther’s extensive, published “anti-Jew” rhetoric—after it became so well-known.
And his own hate-filled attitudes and “massive stature” in religious history have continued to be a primary reason that Catholics distrust “Protestantism”, “Protestants” shun Catholicism, and Jews avoid both, even though it was never GOD’s intention that Messianic Christianity would ever be other than an extension and magnification of the revealed scriptural foundation of “Judaism.
MATTHEW 5:17
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
There has never been a legitimate reason for animosity between those who truly base their doctrinal beliefs on the specific scriptures within the Law, Prophets, and Writings which were inspired by GOD to reveal all that is necessary for “eternal salvation”.
JOHN 5:39
5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
JOHN 5:45-47
5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust.
5:46 For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
5:47 But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?
That admonition applies to Christians also—to those who virtually ignore Moses’ writings, thinking they have no relevance to Christianity.
DEUTERONOMY 18:15-18
18:15 The LORD your GOD will raise up unto you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me [Moses]; unto him you shall hearken;
18:16 According to all that you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb [Sinai] in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
18:17 And the LORD said unto me [through His Angel], They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto you, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
That clear statement—that the LORD GOD, the Unlimited sometimes speaks through the mouth of His “Angel Presence” (the Angel of the LORD, in any of his embodiments) is also seen in GOD’S warning about HIs instinctively judgmental Angel who is limited to behavior and power given to him by GOD.
ISAIAH 63:7-10
63:7 I will mention the loving kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the House of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His loving kindnesses.
63:8 For He said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so He was their Savior.
63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and he [the Angel of His Presence] bore them [and often couldn’t bear them], and carried them all the days of old.
63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed His Holy Spirit: therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them.
EXODUS 23:20-22
23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name [YAHWH] is in him.
23:22 But if you shall indeed obey his [the Angel’s] voice, and do all that I [GOD] speak; then I will be an enemy unto your enemies, and an adversary unto your adversaries.
JOHN 12:47-50
12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the World, but to save the World.
12:48 He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
12:50 And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
DEUTERONOMY 18:19-22
18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he [”that Prophet”] shall speak in My name [proclaiming, “Thus saith the LORD”], I will require it of him [will hold him responsible, because he heard “that Prophet” speak in person].
18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die [not the prophet who is simply being presumptuous—but a presumptuous prophet who speaks in the name of other gods].
18:21 And if you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?
18:22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously: you shall not be afraid of him[Don’t worry about what he says; and don’t attempt to kill him. “That prophet shall die”—eventually; as will we all.]
Some might think that the LORD GOD was establishing an apparent “justification” in the Law of Moses for those few Jews who would think, many centuries later, that YAHshua of Nazareth was a false prophet and that he deserved to die. That would be true if YAHshua had spoken in the name of “other gods”.
But there were things that the Angel of the LORD did deliberately on his own—as the mortal human YAHshua—to enrage his religious enemies, causing them to believe Moses had ordered them to kill him as a dangerous false prophet. However, they were using scripture to “justify” murderous hatred; which the LORD GOD forbids.
1 JOHN 4:18-21
4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.
4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
4:20 If a man says, I love GOD, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love GOD whom he has not seen?
4:21 And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loves GOD love his brother also.
The First Christians Knew Nothing About the New Testament—or What Would Eventually Be In It.
LUKE 24:44-45
24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me.
24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
When the very large membership of the original, exclusively “Jewish” Church of GOD was established in Jerusalem on Pentecost in 30 A.D., it based virtually all of its doctrinal understanding on what had been previewed symbolically throughout the Hebrew scriptures, or the relatively accurate Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures. There was no New Testament in any shape or form, until the earliest epistles of Paul began to be copied, and circulated to a very limited extent, after 50 AD.
Whether you consider yourself Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, or identify with some other religion-based classification, and most of your experience with “Bible study” seems to produce more confusion than clear guidance—or more questions than believable answers—try reading the “books” written by the apostle John
The apostle John was designated as the disciple, and apostle, who was loved emotionally by his cousin YAHshua more than YAHshua loved any of the other disciples. It was primarily because John understood YAHshua’s importance to GOD the Father as no one else ever has.
John was able to clearly communicate the literally universal importance of YAHshua, who was the one and only original Angel of the LORD GOD—formed to eternally represent GOD the Unlimited as a singular personality; and authorized to perform the administrative functions of GOD which require a visible presence as a singular being. GOD the Unlimited maintains a state of invisibility to all unless He chooses to become visible.
COLOSSIANS 1:15-18
1:15 Who is the image of the invisible GOD, the firstborn of every creature:
1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
1:18 And he is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.
Many skeptics believe that the ancient writings posing as “scripture” from the “apostle John” are nothing more than the scrambled ramblings of an anonymous, senile old “simpleton” suffering from “night-mare” visions of apocalyptic “horses”—some with tails like serpents. Scripture says “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33). If that scripture is true, does it mean that GOD is not the ultimate “author” of John’s writing, because skeptics, like Martin Luther, judge it to be nothing but unusable confusion? The answer is, No!
As mentioned before, GOD uses scriptures that are discovered here and there throughout the Bible to teach “hidden” doctrinal knowledge to those who search for it. GOD also uses the abundance of often confusing and irrelevant “scripture” surrounding useful scriptures to hide doctrinal knowledge from those who refuse to believe the useful scriptures even when they are “rightly divided” or separated from extraneous, unnecessary material and displayed in plain view.
2 TIMOTHY 2:15
2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto GOD, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
ISAIAH 28:9-10
28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
ISAIAH 28:13
28:13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Was Paul the Only One Who Fully Understood His Epistles?
Are the scriptures of the apostle Paul—or someone lying about being him—the impenetrable ramblings of a befuddled old theologian who can’t clearly explain the perplexing visions of doctrinal revelation he implies that he received in the “third” Heaven?
2 CORINTHIANS 12:2-5
12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: GOD knows;) such a one caught up to the third Heaven.
12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: GOD knows;)
12:4 How that he was caught up into Paradise [the third Heaven], and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter [did the “man he knew” utter those unspeakable words to Paul, which was against the law—or does Paul reveal the words he himself heard, which are not lawful for a man to utter—or write—even though Paul said all things were lawful for him? Perplexing? Not really. Just unnecessarily convoluted.]
12:5 Of such a one will I glory [apparently referring to the “Paul” that was “caught up”; though maybe not the physical Paul]: yet of myself [the physical Paul] I will not glory, but in my infirmities[how does one “glory” in his infirmities”? I’d rather get rid of mine.]
If GOD inspired every word of Paul’s writing—which everyone, including Peter considers “hard to be understood”, or confusing (see 2 Peter 3:15-16)—what does that say about the clarity of GOD’s understanding of His own revelations? It says that most humans have not yet acquired the spiritual maturity to accept the level of doctrinal revelation that GOD will give them if they simply open their minds to fresh doctrinal concepts rather than closing their minds to protect ancient concepts and “infallible” traditions that were never worth preserving.
MARK 7:7-9
7:7 Nevertheless in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
7:8 For laying aside the commandment of GOD, you hold the [“infallible”] tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do.
7:9 And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of GOD, that you may keep your own tradition[s].
The apostle Paul was given an early education in advanced Hebrew theology, with access to the best copies of Hebrew scriptures in existence, which were of a quality far beyond what almost any other human has ever seen.
That did not ensure that he would acquire spiritual understanding of “all Hebrew scripture”. In fact, he made the mistake of using what he read to justify belief in his own “supreme righteousness” which he supposed included empowerment by GOD to violently oppress and destroy the lives of any who dared to challenge the supremacy of his own theology by implying that his doctrinal understanding was inferior to the spiritual messages that had been preached by YAHshua and were continuing to be preached by his earliest disciples.
Paul—formerly Saul—would never have imagined any reason to change his own “time-honored”, though not GOD-honored theology if he had not been confronted “in person” by the glorified Jesus Christ, and later taught face-to-face by Jesus Christ, in vision, as if he was in Heaven.
ACTS 9:1-6
9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the High Priest,
9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of “this Way”, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven:
9:4 And he fell to the Earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me?
9:5 And he said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. Is it hard for you to kick [or fight] against the pricks? [which the Lord was beginning to use like the shocking pokes of an electric “cattle prod” intending to finally put Paul “in his place”] [Will you, Saul, be able to endure the type of cruel and unusual punishments you have been inflicting on others to turn them away from their determination of what is the right path?].
9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will you have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.
Don’t imagine that when GOD provides forgiveness of one’s past history of sin, it includes any effort on His part to prevent the lingering negative consequences of those sins. If a person has “ruined” his own life, or contributed to an increase of misery and evil in the lives of others; GOD has not promised to personally provide immediate healing and blessing for such a person, or his victims, along with any forgiveness that may have occurred.
The forgiveness of GOD is a willingness on His part to allow one to be personally healed and blessed by Him in the future Kingdom of GOD—not now. Don’t expect GOD to pour out blessings on you for temporary improvements in your attitude toward Him. If you begin living your life in a way that pleases GOD you might experience some of the automated benefits that are generally available universally to those who avoid the automated “penalties” that often follow those whose behavior displeases GOD.
Many humans have no problem abusing other humans or animals with cruel force in order to compel them to submit to their demands. It is not unusual to hear of an abused “beast of burden” or other “work animal”, such as an ox, or mule, or you name it, finally kicking the literal sh*t out of a human “jack-ass” that has continually tormented it with unreasonable methods of control.
Thankfully, there are many humans who will instantly sympathize with the creature that has finally “kicked against the pricks” that are tormenting it. If a “bull-fighter”, or “bull-tormenter” is strutting around in skin-tight “fancy pants”, stabbing lances deep into the back of a bull for “entertainment purposes only” and the bull is able to gore the matador in his “backside”—it is the bull that deserves acclaim for punishing the punisher. The matador deserves no sympathy for any continuing suffering he must endure.
Saul had been prepared from birth to acquire the training, language skills, and worldly experience and connections he needed to fulfill his GOD-given commission as chief apostle to the Gentiles. But becoming the chief persecutor of the original, mostly Jewish Churches of GOD was his idea. GOD did not plan it nor authorize it—even though Saul undoubtedly imagined that He had.
When Saul was finally supernaturally converted by GOD the Father, and was given supernatural revelation of GOD’s plan to save and convert virtually all humans who have ever lived—including all “Jews” and all “Gentiles”, he was considered by the churches of GOD to be a Satan-inspired destroyer who deserved the punishment outlined by YAHshua in reference to anyone who would engage in major offenses against any new believer; typified as a “little child”.
MATTHEW 18:1-7
18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
18:3 And said, Truly I say unto you, Except you be converted, and become as “little children”, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
18:5 And whoso shall receive one such “little child” in my name receives me.
18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these “little ones” which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea.
18:7 Woe unto the World because of offenses! for it must essentially be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
ACTS 9:13-16
9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem:
9:14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on your name.
9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
9:16 For I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
Paul did experience continuing “cruel and unusual” punishments allowed by the Lord throughout his years as an apostle, including trying to avoid drowning in the Mediterranean Sea more than once; and he complained bitterly about it.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:23-29
11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often [he apparently died from assaults, more than once, but was restored to continuing mortal life. It's interesting that the word "Saul" is part of the word "assault"].
11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one [thirty-nine lashes].
11:25 Three times was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
11:26 In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the Sea [see Acts 27], in perils among false brethren;
11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which comes upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? [Paul's instinctive pomposity was continually “punctured”, until it was thoroughly deflated.]
Perhaps the most exasperating of the punishing “pricks” Paul was continually “kicking” or “kvetching” about, with no sympathy being given to him by the Lord, was the undefined “thorn in the flesh” that plagued him, as well as the numerous unusual problems that were always threatening his life.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-7
12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: GOD knows;) such an one caught up to the third Heaven.
12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: GOD knows;)
12:4 How that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
12:5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in my infirmities.
12:6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he sees me to be, or that he hears of me.
12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a [”pricking”] “thorn in the flesh”, the “messenger” of Satan [or more likely—a continuing “message” from the Lord] to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Paul frequently complained about the “unfair” life experiences and deprivations that he had to endure in order to fulfill GOD’s commission of being the primary apostle to the Gentiles. He should have been remembering how he had tried to destroy the Church of GOD almost “single-handedly”. The Angel of the LORD has left a vast record, filling Hebrew scripture, showing his unwillingness to forget about sins, such as those of Paul, even though he might have forgiven them.
The Most High LORD GOD warned Israel to beware, or be wary of His Angel, who He said would not forgive them for rejecting him, the Angel, as their God. The Bible never implies that GOD has obligated Himself to erase all of His own memory of sins He has forgiven. And even if He does “forget” about something on a record, it does not eliminate what is on the record.
EXODUS 23:20-21
23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name [YAHWH] is in him.
1 CORINTHIANS 9:1-5
9:1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free [from limitations]? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
9:2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord.
9:3 My answer to them that do examine me is this,
9:4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?
9:5 Have we not power to lead about a “sister” [converted female companion], [or] a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brothers of the Lord [James, Joses, Simon, and Jude], and Peter?
LUKE 8:1-3
8:1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of GOD: and the twelve were with him,
8:2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, [former “business associates” of] Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
8:3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
MARK 15:40-41
15:40 There were also women looking on far off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, the less [younger] and of Joses [brothers of YAHshua], and Salome [mother of James and John];
15:41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
The “many” women following YAHshua and the disciples, “ministering unto him of their substance”, were still wealthy because of their former “employment”, as was Mary Magdalene who had saved an extremely expensive “therapeutic massage” oil, or “ointment” which she finally used to anoint YAHshua two days before his execution on Passover Day.
LUKE 7:36-39
7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to food.
7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at food in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
7:38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment [She knew YAHshua intimately. She was from Magdala (Migdal). He had a home in Capernaum, about five miles away.]
7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him; for she is a sinner [“Temple call-girl”].
JOHN 11:1-5
11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
11:2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.
11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of GOD, that the Son of GOD might be glorified thereby.
11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister [Mary Magdalene], and Lazarus.
JOHN 12:1-7
12:1 Then Jesus six days before the Passover [of the fourteenth; which was on a “Thursday” in 30 A.D.; making “six days before”, the previous “Friday”] came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
12:2 There they made him a supper [two days before the Feast of the Passover; Mark 14:1]; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
12:4 Then says one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarion [about a year’s wages], and given to the poor?
12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bore what was put therein.
12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone. Against the day of my burying has she kept this.
MARK 14:1-9
14:1 After two days was the [evening] Feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
14:2 But they said, Not on the Feast Day [“Friday”], lest there be an uproar of the people.
14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at food, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head.
14:4 And there were some [primarily Judas Iscariot] that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
14:5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarion, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
14:6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble you her? She has wrought a good work on me.
14:7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you will you may do them good; but me you have not always.
14:8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
14:9 Truly I say unto you, Wherever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole World, this also that she has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Spikenard has a very strong, masculine, “woodsy”, or freshly-cut wood smell, and is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. If the concentration of the expensive spikenard was even close to the obnoxious, sinus-burning, dime-a-barrel “cheap perfume” that permeates all of the “fancy perfume” advertisements polluting some magazines; making them almost un-readable; then the “fragrance” of the spikenard would have overpowered almost any other smell in Jerusalem.
What is Holy about the Words and Writings of Humans with Un-Godly Attitudes?
Did GOD the Father inspire Paul to complain frequently in his epistles? Did He provide the exact phrasing of each and every complaint, and ensure absolutely “inerrant” preservation of Paul’s complaining and griping for our “profit”, or benefit? Such a concept is ridiculous.
Pay no attention to the protestations of those who think they must honor “all scripture” by insisting that the wording in 2 Timothy 3:16 means exactly what it appears to say, as it is printed in their personal Bible. If it was absolutely true that the Holy Spirit, or Mind of GOD has inspired every single scripture, it would mean that He has inspired more words expressing misery, frustration, doubt, fear, and often, repulsive condemnation of others, than words expressing the positive opposite of those things.
Paul knew the difference between scripture which exemplifies the characteristics of the Holy Spirit—GOD’s Mind—and scripture which exemplifies the opposite. He wrote plenty of both. It makes no sense to attribute scriptures to inspiration from the Holy Spirit, when they exhibit attitudes exactly opposite of those which exemplify the Holy Spirit.
GALATIANS 3:19
3:19 Wherefore then serves the [unnecessary] law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
GALATIANS 5:1
5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the “yoke of bondage” [unnecessary, and temporary punitive laws].
Paul described the punitive disciplinary laws imposed by Moses on the idolatrous “Exodus” generation of Israel—and on those from later generations who committed the same “sins of their fathers”—as a “yoke of bondage”. Paul did not regard those laws as “profitable for instruction in righteousness”. Many of the “endless”, repetitive, and poorly organized collections of punitive laws “of Moses” show no evidence of inspiration by the perfected Holy Spirit, or Mind of the ultimate LORD GOD.
The following are considered to be indisputable characteristics and behavior traits of a truly Holy Spirit—which the “only true GOD”, the Father alone possesses because He designed and enables every aspect of them, and is not involuntarily controlled by any of the many negative spirit characteristics which compel everyone else to act the way they look; or act in accord with their primary responsibilities—which is, in the case of GOD”s Angel, being an instinctively judgmental, but potentially merciful enforcer of the behaviors that will be required for access to GOD within His Kingdom—the Kingdom of Heaven in Heaven.
GALATIANS 5:22-23
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
5:23 Unpretentiousness, willful restraint. Against such, there is no law.
1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-7
13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.
13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing.
13:4 Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
13:5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not his own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;
13:6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
13:7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Notice, in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, the hyperbolic, wildly exaggerated use of “all” throughout the passage. Paul could not, in any way, have meant that someone with love should “believe all things” without any exceptions. Neither could he have believed “all scripture is given by GOD” without any exceptions.
Also consider the underlined phrases above as they might apply—or not apply—to the image many have of the bombastic “God of the Old Testament”. Think about it. Regrettably, many Christians think every “word” of the “God of the Old Testament” is from GOD the Father, whom YAHshua said is the “only true GOD” and “his GOD” even after returning to his former glorified existence in Heaven where he “was God”—not “is God” (see Revelation 3:12).
JOHN 1:1
1:1 In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was God.
It should be obvious that not “every word” attributed to God in Hebrew Scripture is from the Holy Mind, or Spirit, of GOD; but is from the mind of the Angel of the LORD who more often than not “speaks his own mind” about his own will, rather than that of the LORD GOD, the Unlimited.
LUKE 22:42
22:42 Saying, Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me [the requirement that he die a brutal “sacrificial” death]: nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.
MATTHEW 26:42
26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, your will be done.
JOHN 6:38-40
6:38 For I came down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.
6:39 And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which He has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
6:40 And this is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Notice that though belief in the Son of GOD is required before one can be given eternal life by GOD; saving belief will not be required of anyone until they have literally seen the Son—for most, at their Last Judgment—and have been shown something to believe in.
JOHN 17:3
17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know you, the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
1 TIMOTHY 2:3-6
2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of GOD our Savior;
2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2:5 For there is one GOD, and one mediator between GOD and men, the man Christ Jesus;
2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
REVELATION 3:7-9
3:7 And to the “angel” of the church in Philadelphia write; These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens.
3:8 I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it [the impending global dissemination of Messianic/Christian scripture]: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.
3:9 Behold, I will make them of the “synagogue of Satan”, [the Temple roomful of “blind guides” attempting to preserve their un-Godly traditions and oppressive tyranny] which say they are “Jews”, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
REVELATION 3:12
3:12 All who overcome [who match the spiritual “profile” of those in the Philadelphia Church] will I make a pillar in the Temple of my GOD, and they shall go no more out: and I will write upon them the name of my GOD, and the name of the City of my GOD, which is New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from my GOD. . .
REVELATION 21:1-3
21:1 And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth: for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away; and there was no more Sea.
21:2 And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from GOD out of Heaven, prepared as a “Bride” adorned for her husband [though the Holy City is not the Bride of Christ].
21:3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of GOD is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and GOD himself shall be with them, and be their GOD.
REVELATION 3:12
. . . and I will write upon them my new name [as a Bride traditionally takes the “last name” of her husband].
As Eve was created from a part of the body of the first Adam, so will the Bride of Christ be composed of thousands of men and women from a part of the spiritual “Body” (or Church) of the “last Adam”. And the “Bride of Christ”, chosen by his Father, GOD, will become known by his new name—which has been presented to you—and “she” will be considered worthy of worship, just as he is; though he will not be accepting worship until all has been fulfilled.
REVELATION 3:9
3:9 . . . I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
REVELATION 22:6-9
22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the LORD GOD of the holy prophets sent His Angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done.
22:7 Behold, I [the Angel] come quickly. Blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book [the Revelation].
22:8 And I, John, saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the Angel [of the LORD] which showed me these things.
22:9 Then says he unto me, See you do it not; for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book, Worship GOD.
You Have Not Denied My Name
MATTHEW 24:4-5
24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ [saying that they are “Christ”; not that Jesus is Christ]; and shall deceive many.
REVELATION 3:8
3:8 I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it [the impending global dissemination of Messianic/Christian scripture]: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.
ACTS 11:26
11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
ACTS 26:27-28
26:27 King Agrippa, believe you the prophets? I know that you believe.
26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost you persuade me to be a Christian.
26:29 And Paul said, I would to GOD, that not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
1 PETER 4:16
4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify GOD on this behalf.
Most Christians have never experienced a moment of “persecution” because they have been labeled as “Christians”—or have labeled themselves as Christians. That in no way diminishes the fact that many Christians are being persecuted around the World; often because they act outwardly like denominational Christians who might be persecuted in a particular area.
Unfortunately many Christians believe they have to exhibit some easily recognized outward identification of their chosen denomination. That is not true. Nothing about being a Christian requires any outward signs of identification other than “departing from iniquity”.
2 TIMOTHY 2:19
2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of GOD stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
How might believers unintentionally “deny Christ’s name”—by calling themselves by names other than “Christian” or “Messian”, or some understandable derivative.
Hundreds of denominations, sects, and “splinter groups” claiming to base their religion on “Christianity”—as they define it—would never think of calling themselves simply “Christian”; preferring divisive and often ambiguous labels such as Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Baptist, Pentecostal, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon or any number of other names based on battles over forms of administration, and what sources of “revelation” are from GOD, or from “someone else”.
It’s not a problem that started with “Lutheran Protestantism”. Notice how Paul “went overboard” (which he had a habit of doing) using the names of Christ—perhaps attempting to balance the silence of those who feared using them—often for legitimate reasons. But some denied, or withheld the honor they should have given to the name of Christ by labeling themselves as devoted disciples of the teachers other than YAHshua, the Christ.
CORINTHIANS 1:1-13
1:1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of GOD, and Sosthenes our brother,
1:2 Unto the Church of GOD which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from GOD our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:4 I thank my GOD always on your behalf, for the grace of GOD which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1:5 That in every thing you are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
1:7 So that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1:9 GOD is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1:10 Now I plead to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1:11 For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Peter; and I of Christ.
1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
If you believe in Christ, or in the Messiah, revealed throughout Hebrew scripture and ”Christian” scripture, then say you are a Christian; or Messian, or some term you can appreciate that reveals your hope to participate in the Messiah’s future Kingdom on Earth. Loyalty to Luther and his name will not endear a believer to Christ, or his Father, GOD.
If all believers in Christ began to call themselves Christians—it would instantly begin to re-create the unity that was lost when believers began saying, I am of Paul (a “Pauline” disciple), or of Apollos (an “Apollyana”), or of Peter (a “Peterist”), or of Christ (a Christian).
And remember also, to honor the name “Jew”. If you have been led to believe that Christian scripture condemns all “Jews” because a roomful of hate-filled religious supremacists plotted to murder YAHshua of Nazareth; you need to simply read the following scripture:
ROMANS 11:1-2
11:1 I say then, Has GOD cast away his people? GOD forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
11:2 GOD has not cast away his people which He foreknew. . .
ROMANS 11:11-29
11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? GOD forbid: but rather through their fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy.
11:12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the World, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?
11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office:
11:14 If by any means I may provoke to awaken jealousy in them which are my flesh, and might save some of them [now].
11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the World, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
11:16 For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if you boast, you bear not the root, but the root you.
11:19 You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:
11:21 For if GOD spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not you.
11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of GOD: on them which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off.
11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for GOD is able to graft them in again [and He plans to do exactly that].
11:24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree [Israel]: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
11:25 For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
11:28 As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as concerning the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
11:29 For the gifts and calling of GOD are without repentance [nothing will prevent GOD from fulfilling all of His Kingdom of GOD promises to “all Israel”—including “all Israel” which lived in the past, after resurrection, as portrayed in Ezekiel 37].
HEBREWS 8:7-12
8:7 For if that first [the Old] Covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second [the New Covenant].
8:8 For finding fault with them, he says, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah:
8:9 Not according to the [Old] Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my Covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord.
8:10 For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
JOHN 4:22-26
4:22 You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
4:23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.
4:24 GOD is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
4:25 The woman says unto him, I know that Messiah comes, which is called Christ: and when he has come, he will tell us all things.
4:26 Jesus says unto her, I that speak unto you am he.
ROMANS 1:16
1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of GOD unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
ROMANS 2:10-11
2:10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
2:11 For there is no favoring of persons with GOD.
ROMANS 2:28-29
2:28 For he is not a [spiritual] Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
2:29 But he is a [spiritual] Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart [or mind], in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of GOD.
Don’t confuse being a Jew through ancestry, with being a “religious” Jew, or a “spiritual Jew”. A person may be all three, or two, or one—or be considered part of the “roomful” of “Jews” who plotted to murder YAHshua, and extinguish the new first century Church of God, thus becoming unworthy of the honorable name “Jew” as GOD applies it to any human who is becoming spiritual by His standards.
GALATIANS 3:28
3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
That is the goal, but not the reality. Of course there are still Jews and non-Jews by ancestry, and plenty who are both. Of course there are “bond-slaves” and free—though some who are “free” are mistreated as if they were the other. Of course there are still males and females—last time I looked—and sometimes even looking won’t let you make a determination. And I’ve never seen or heard of a Christian group that was “all one in Christ Jesus”. It’s a goal. But don’t miss the next verse.
GALATIANS 3:29
3:29 And if you be Christ's, then are you “Abraham's seed”, and heirs according to the promise.
ACTS 28:16-19
28:16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was allowed to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.
28:17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
28:18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
28:19 But when the Jews [a “small” mob] spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had anything to accuse my nation of.
That last statement by Paul should be known by everyone who thinks that Christian scripture even hints at a condemnation of all “Israel”, or ethnic Jews, or anyone who may be “Jewish” by ancestry, in whole, or in part, as I am—proudly.
I’ve “mentioned” the last name of my mother’s father—Reiser. Of course it was her “maiden name” when she was a “maiden”—long, long ago. The unusual circumstances of his birth in South Russia (now Ukraine) in 1888; his refusal to participate in war when he was in his late teens; his strange and “providential” immigration to “America”; and his acquisition of a Social Security number with the last four digits: 6666; all seem remarkably symbolic to me.
He was the “firstborn of many brethren” in his German-speaking family; and though he was named “Christian”, several genetic appearance characteristics and “character characteristics” indicate his ancestral heritage—which wasn’t German. My rather humorless grandmother was German by ancestry, and she also had outstanding character. My Grandpa Reiser was a well-educated and talented farmer who was out standing in his field all of his life. (that last part was supposed to be a joke—for those of you who can’t recognize one)
MATTHEW 19:28
19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Truly I say unto you, That you which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
HEBREWS 11:26
11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
REVELATION 21:10-12
21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that Great City, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from GOD,
21:11 Having the glory of GOD: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Every government around the World contains characters who have questionable characters—especially those characters who are always agitating for war; even though they claim to be Christians. But all who acquire positions of “leadership”, in every nation, will find no better governing philosophy than the following:
ROMANS 12:17-21
12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
12:18 If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men.
12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.
12:20 Therefore if your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing “you shall heap coals of fire on his head” [shame him; if he compares his revengeful attitude to your restraint].
12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
MATTHEW 5:9
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of GOD.
Should God Be Talking Like This?
Isn’t each and every “verse” of all of the detailed and often repetitive complaining of the continually exasperated and infuriated God of Israel, and his detailed planning of horrific punishments and proposals for the destruction of Israel, which fills the books of the prophets, supposed to be considered the “inspired word of GOD”; or an expression of the Holy Spirit of GOD, which is GOD’s central, omniscient, and omnipotent Mind, and an example of the ultimate level of behavior that characterizes the Most High GOD?
HEBREWS 1:1-2
1:1 GOD, who at several times and in diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
1:2 Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the “worlds”;
2 PETER 1:21
1:21 For prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of GOD spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
PSALMS 12:6
12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
JEREMIAH 16:1-5
16:1 The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying,
16:2 You shall not take you a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
16:3 For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them, and concerning their fathers that bring forth them in this land;
16:4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be food for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the Earth.
16:5 For thus says the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor lament for them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, says the Lord, even loving kindness and mercies.
Is It God’s Inspired Recipe for the Most Nutritious Line of Bread Products and Breakfast Cereals Ever Sold? —or a Recipe for a “Sh*t Sandwich”!
Context is everything. Was Ezekiel given a GOD-inspired recipe for the most nutritious form of bread ever made? Apparently some think so. Look up “Ezekiel 4:9 bread” on Google. Of course, most recipes usually need a little adjustment here and there. What looks good in “the cook book” usually doesn’t taste, or look so good in reality. Sometimes ingredients should be left out of a printed recipe—or added, to make it edible.
If anyone claims that what is presented in Ezekiel 4:9 as a “recipe” for bread, should be almost supernaturally beneficial; since it is the “word of GOD”; perhaps they should take another look at the “holy scripture” and see if maybe they missed something.
EZEKIEL 4:9
4:9 Take you also unto you wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make you bread thereof, according to the number of the days that you shall lie upon your side, three hundred and ninety days shall you eat thereof.
Presumably he wasn’t supposed to make one “loaf” that would last three hundred and ninety days. Some dog owners buy enormous, fifty-pound bags of dry “dog food” and leave it open until the bag is empty so it will more convenient to ration out a few cups of ever more “petrified” and tasteless pellets each day for several weeks—or months!
At least when the Lord gave the “Exodus generation prisoners” a “bread and water” diet “every day” for forty years, the “manna” was fresh; even though incredibly boring.
NEHEMIAH 9:20
9:20 You gave also your good spirit to instruct them, and withheld not your manna [”bread”] from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.
EXODUS 16:14-31
16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is “manna”: for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the “bread” which the Lord has given you to eat.
16:16 This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take you every man for them which are in his tents. [an omer is roughly two quarts, which is half a gallon].
16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
16:18 And when they did mete [measure] it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
16:19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it until the morning.
16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms [maggots], and stank: and Moses was angry with them.
16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the Sun waxed hot, it melted.
16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord has said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which you will bake today, and seethe that you will seethe; and that which remains over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
16:24 And they laid it up until the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
16:25 And Moses said, Eat that today; for today is a Sabbath unto the Lord. Today you shall not find it in the field.
16:26 Six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.
16:27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day in order to gather, and they found none.
16:28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse you to keep my commandments and my laws?
16:29 See, for that the Lord has given you the Sabbath, therefore he gives you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide you every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
16:31 And the House of Israel called the name thereof manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
NUMBERS 11:4-9
11:4 And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
11:5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic [pewwwee!]:
11:6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
11:7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium [like tiny pearls—“pearl rice”].
11:8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
11:9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
EXODUS 16:35
16:35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
DEUTERONOMY 8:3
8:3 And he humbled you, and allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord does man live.
PSALMS 78:24
78:24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the “corn” of heaven
JOHN 6:31
6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
JOHN 6:49
6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
REVELATION 2:17
2:17 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white “stone” [pearl], and in the “stone” a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.
If the Israelites were barely able to choke down the monotonous manna that they were expected to eat day after day after day, imagine being a “pet” dog, or cat that has to choke down monotonous “petrified” pellets day after day after day, with only a rare opportunity to find a few crumbs of real food that “fall from their masters’ table”.
MATTHEW 15:25-28
15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet [appropriate] to take the children's bread, and to cast it to “dogs” [YAHshua was being facetious about the Jews’ insulting term for Samaritans].
15:27 And she said [knowing he was “joking”], Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith. Be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
It’s amazing that some dog owners think they are doing their dogs a favor by feeding them virtually nothing but a “balanced diet” of dry dog food. If you love your dog or cat, please do some website research on what is really in those manufactured “nutritional” pet pellets and other “tasty treats”.
Some pet “owners” need to “get a clue” about what “abominations” they might be “feeding” their carnivorous canine, or feline “best friend” every day; such as: “meat and bone meal”, or MBM; a main ingredient in most commercial dry “food” for dogs and cats.
MBM can consist of rendered (melted down) “products” from cattle, sheep, pigs, or poultry, including intestines (still “full”), heads, hoofs, horns, hide trimmings, manure, udders, unborn fetuses, “over-aged” (spoiled) supermarket meat (still in the plastic packaging), restaurant “waste”—even euthanized farm animals containing lethal chemicals use to kill them. And of all the animals and other creatures that have died, or have been killed, most are not transported immediately to the “glue factory” for rendering into “meat and bone meal”.
If you think you are your dog’s best friend because you feed him a few cups of “petrified pet food pellets” whenever you get around to it; with a best friend like that—who needs enemas?
Does not the Scripture say,
GALATIANS 5:14
5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
LEVITICUS 19:18
19:18 You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
JAMES 2:8
2:8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well:
JAMES 2:15-16
2:15 If a brother or sister [or pet] be naked, and destitute of daily food,
2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are necessary to the body; what does it profit?
Some of your closest “neighbors” are the “pets” and other non-human creatures around you. You should always treat all non-human creatures, and especially “pets”, as you would want to be treated if you were such a creature. And even treat them as you treat yourself—if that doesn’t include too many “treats”. Be reasonable.
But Back to that Ezekiel 4:9 Recipe
EZEKIEL 4:10-15
4:10 And your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shall you eat it.
4:11 You shall drink also water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time shall you drink.
4:12 And you shall eat it as “barley” cakes, and you shall bake it with dung that comes out of man, in their sight [guess who the “man, in their sight” was supposed to be].
4:13 And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.
4:14 Then said I, Aughh! Lord God! Behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
4:15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given you cow's dung for man's dung [and Ezekiel said, Thanks a lot, Lord!], and you shall prepare your bread therewith.
Though dried cow’s dung can be used as fuel; the Lord was not referring to using dung as a heat source for the baking of the bread, since “dung that comes out of man” doesn’t usually burn—though it may feel like it sometimes.
The Personality speaking as the God of Israel, in most cases, was the Angel of the Lord; well known for his “un-Godly sounding” harangues, or diatribes, or “Jeremiads” such as the following:
MALACHI 2:1-3
2:1 And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you.
2:2 If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart.
2:3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
And as far as those who reject New Testament revelation know—that was part of the last communication the Lord ever had with the House of Judah.
PSALMS 12:6
12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
When the Bible says prophets of old were spoken to by the Holy Spirit of GOD, it does not refer to the enormous number of clearly unforgiving and hate-filled condemnations of Israel as a nation and everyone in it dictated to the prophets by the Angel of the LORD who was authorized by the ultimate LORD GOD the Unlimited to portray Him within the limits of the singular judgmental personality he was given by the LORD GOD he represented.
Much of the recorded scripture that is attributed to the “God of Israel”—who was the Angel of the LORD—demonstrates very little of what might be expected from “the GOD of love”—now known as GOD the Father, because of the revelations about Himself that He transmitted through His Angel and human Son, YAHshua.
You will never understand the primary Messianic revelations of Hebrew scripture if you insist that every “word of God” quoted in Hebrew scripture reflects the Holy Spirit of the only true GOD. Only those scriptures which reflect the characteristics of GOD’s Holy Spirit which are worth hallowing, should be considered as “Holy Scriptures” inspired by the only GOD who deserves to be hallowed—GOD the Father.
The Angel of the LORD was created to be a halo-ing or hallowing Angel— Commander of the twenty-four “Elder” Elohim—the twenty-four Elders mentioned in the Revelation. He is only allowed to represent himself as “God” when GOD authorizes it. And he does not always exhibit GOD’s holy characteristics as GOD Himself does.
It is clearly seen in the paradoxical “dichotomy”, or seemingly irreconcilable differences between the God of Israel, who often seems ready to destroy Israel because he can’t control them; and the LORD GOD of Israel who often interjects—within His Angel’s extended denunciations—beautiful plans and promises to transform and glorify “all Israel”, and the rest of the World, in due time.
EZEKIEL 37:21-28
37:21 And say unto them, Thus says the LORD GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, where they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.
37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their GOD.
37:24 And David, my servant, shall be King over them; and they all shall have one Shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
37:25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their Prince forever.
37:26 Moreover I will make a Covenant of Peace with them; it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
37:27 My Tabernacle also shall be with them. Yes, I will be their GOD, and they shall be my people.
37:28 And the heathen shall know that I, the LORD, do sanctify Israel, when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
This has never happened in any way, shape, or form. Either the prophecy is still valid, though unfulfilled—or it is a false prophecy. If you are a Christian—make a choice; in accord with New Testament doctrine.
ROMANS 11:25-27
11:25 For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
11:27 For this is my Covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
It is apparent throughout “all scriptures”, but certainly not within every scripture, that the Angel of the Lord has a continuous recorded history—beginning “in the Beginning” of Genesis, and through the End-Time of the Revelation—with being unable to speak to humans in plain and unambiguous language that cannot be misunderstood or misconstrued.
In fact, the ambiguity of the recorded communications between the Angel of the LORD and humans throughout human history, known as “scriptures”, continue to be a source of bewilderment to those who believe they have to believe that every “word of the Lord” is “as pure silver, tried in a furnace”, and is profitable and worth being preserved inerrantly, by humans, throughout the rest of human history.
Many of the scriptural records of the Angel of the Lord—which expressed his hatred and rage toward many within the generations of historical Israel—have been twisted into “justifications” used by some twisted “Christians”; and advocates of twisted interpretations of other religious viewpoints; to speak about modern, non-idolatrous, and “blameless” Jews in the same manner as the God of Israel apparently spoke to the prophets about the almost incessantly idolatrous Israelites and Jews he was referring to; who lived after the time of King David and before the Babylonian captivity of the nation of Judah.
(Shouldn’t a paragraph have more than one sentence? Some writers think not—just read the Bible. Or they can’t figure out how to break a run-on sentence into “byte-sized pieces”. Can you understand it? That’s all that matters.)
Ironically, ancient scriptures have also been used by some overly-religious Jews to condemn “Gentiles”, and to condemn “underly-religious” Jews, such as YAHshua and his earliest disciples, who began to “rightly divide “the word of GOD” found in scriptures, from the words of others found in scriptures, that had become inappropriately attached to the specific words of GOD which were inspired; profitable for doctrine, reproof; and instruction in righteousness.
2 TIMOTHY 2:15
2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto GOD; a workman that needs not to be ashamed; rightly dividing the word of truth.
Paul attempted to explain in his many epistles—which became a growing collection of essential scripture—GOD’s deeper and more advanced revelations. But deep theology has never been understood by most believers; and it is not essential that every believer know and believe much more than those basics which were provided by the apostle John in his Gospel, as supplements to the Revelation given to him by the Lord, “in Heaven” —a Revelation which is as difficult to comprehend as most of the revelation given to Paul by the Lord, “in Heaven”.
Do not judge John’s ability to write clearly by what appears, in the Revelation, to be an almost incomprehensible hodgepodge of baffling symbolism to those who have no idea that it was never intended to stand alone, but was a vital expansion of dozens of important End-Time prophecies scattered throughout the Hebrew scriptures, paralleling what he witnessed in the vision and attempted to describe as “clearly” as it was being presented to him.
Few Christians bother to study Old Testament End-Time prophecies, or believe what the prophecies contain if they do. They depend on some influential church leader, or credentialed Christian “theologian” to explain them; and those explanations often only fit that preacher’s own personal belief system; which may not be supported by New Testament scriptures of prophecy, let alone those in the Old Testament. In fact some “theologians” seem to spend most of their time trying to “explain away” prophetic scripture so it won’t be bothersome.
Too often, Christian theologians must severely limit revealing any independent conclusions they may have drawn about the content and value of the Old Testament, because they are required to teach and preach only what administrators of their denomination will pay them to teach and preach. And one of the most counter-productive and obstructive of required teachings among Protestants is the “blind-faith” claim that “all scripture”—implying every single “scripture verse” in the entire “Holy Bible”, must be considered inspired by GOD and of equal spiritual value to all others—even though most probably realize they aren’t.
The apostle John was not constrained by church administrators telling him what to write, or how to write it. Because of his life-long close family relationship to YAHshua his cousin, especially during YAHshua’s human ministry, and his later face-to-face relationship with YAHshua in his glorified form as the Angel of the LORD during the Revelation, John had become the ultimate human authority, appointed by the Lord YAHshua, to make the final decisions about what written scripture should be preserved by Church of GOD scribes, or copyists for transmission to all future assemblies of Christian believers.
After John’s final effort to publicize the Revelation; beginning with the seven churches in Asia Minor which he administrated; and the inability of many of those churches to act on what were specific messages to them from Jesus Christ, it was left to John to attempt to revive a common belief in the basic, elemental doctrines which YAHshua considered essential while he was performing his human ministry.
JUDE 1:1-3
1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James [and Jesus Christ], to them that are sanctified by GOD, the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
1:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was necessary for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
The public teachings of YAHshua of Nazareth are relatively simple and easy to understand, but only if one has access to the additional explanatory material provided to the disciples privately, both before the resurrection, and after the resurrection before YAHshua’s return to Heaven, and through enhanced memory over thirty years later—transcriptions of YAHshua’s words which were finally recorded in the Gospels.
JOHN 14:25-26
14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name [the Spirit “Comforter” being himself] he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you [while human].
JOHN 14:16
14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter [YAHshua, the Comforter in human embodiment, would become YAHshua, the Comforter “in Spirit”] that He may abide with you for ever;
JOHN 15:26
15:26 But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth [the Lord said that he was the “Truth”], which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me [the Lord would be testifying about what he had said while human].
JOHN 16:7
16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the [Spirit] Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
What YAHshua was saying was that he, himself, would be empowered to repeat what he had said while human; utilizing the ability of GOD’s Holy Spirit to communicate with the apostles’ spirits; so that those authorized to write, or compose Gospels would be able to transcribe what they could not have recorded the first time they heard it. And John heard and recorded far more of the Lord’s private conversation with his Father, GOD than any of the other apostles.
LUKE 12:11-12
12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take you no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say:
12:12 For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.
LUKE 21:13-15
21:13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what you shall answer:
21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom [utilizing GOD’s Holy Spirit], which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Though John was later given enhanced “memory” of what he was supposed to write in his Gospel, he did not have to rely on memory; natural or supernatural; when he recorded the Revelation in “real time” as he was seeing, hearing, and feeling it.
When attempting to express in writing the unimaginable visions John was seeing with his own eyes, and experiencing with his bodily senses; John did an amazing job of using language that has remained comprehensible even after it was hand-copied numerous times for early presentation and distribution among the late first century churches of GOD—and then later, was translated into the English of the King James Version
Some amazingly clear revelations about the person known as the Angel of the LORD GOD have survived for almost 2,000 years in spite of human inadequacy in translation and copying proficiency, and general inability to know what the revelations were supposed to mean.
In a future publication, I will present a clear interpretive explanation of what I believe the book of Revelation reveals. Will it be a sensible and believable clarification, or will it be received as the original revelation was received—as incomprehensible, unbelievable nonsense? Time will tell.
John was very adept at writing in plain, uncomplicated language, if one will accept it as such and not attempt to complicate it with doctrinal misconceptions, and such absurdities as claiming that the Roman Catholic Church has been the “Great Whore of Babylon” throughout its mostly respectable history of building a network of missions, churches, and schools that have consistently taught the fundamentals of Christian doctrine throughout the World.
Do not make the common error of blaming Catholicism, or Protestantism, or Judaism, or any of the other major religions in our World for evil that has been perpetrated by brutal warmongering national “rulers” who have abused the usually stabilizing influence of established major religions, as a cover for un-Godly atrocities and murder of political opposition.
If you still believe the old, outrageous Protestant propaganda about the Catholic Inquisitions, especially the Spanish Inquisitions, when they were being controlled by the protocol of the Catholic Church; but not including the period they were controlled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain; please read the following:
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2011/the-truth-about-the-spanish-inquisition
Also read Thomas F. Madden’s summary of the “Crusades” for a fresh perspective on why they happened and how one of the un-Godly, and misguided Crusades caused the continuing, and mostly unnecessary separation between Catholic and Greek Orthodox Christians.
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2002/the-real-history-of-the-crusades-2
I also recommend the following video:
Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think
Common Misconceptions About Being “Born Again”
The common “Protestant” doctrinal conception of being “born again” without a preliminary period of spiritual “conception” and spiritual development, is a doctrinal misconception because it ignores the fact that simple physical conception, or “begettal” and physical birth are not equivalent. “Spirit begettal” and “spirit re-birth” were used by John, and Paul, as a symbolic means of clarifying the whole process of spiritual transformation that must take place before any human will be allowed to enter the truly “real World” of the Kingdom of GOD as a “born again” spirit-embodied child of GOD.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:41-53
15:41 There is one glory of the Sun, and another glory of the Moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differs from another star in glory.
15:42 So also is the [first] resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
15:43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made [became] a living soul [not as his prototype “body” was being formed from clay, or moist “dust”—but after his “birth” from “Mother Earth” and he began breathing. (see Genesis 2:6-7)]; the last Adam was made a life-giving Spirit [after returning to Heaven].
15:46 Nevertheless that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
15:47 The first man is of the Earth, earthy; the second man [it does not say he is God] is the Lord from Heaven.
15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the Heavenly, such are they also that are Heavenly.
15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the Heavenly.
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of GOD; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling [or winking] of an eye, at the last trump [the seventh “trumpet” of Revelation]: for the [last] trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
REVELATION 8:2
8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before GOD; and to them were given seven trumpets.
REVELATION 11:15-18
11:15 And the seventh angel sounded [the “last trump”]; and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this World are become the kingdoms of our LORD, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
11:16 And the four and twenty Elders, which sat before GOD on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped GOD,
11:17 Saying, We give you thanks, O LORD GOD Almighty, which are, and were, and are to come [not His Angel]; because you have taken to you your great power, and have reigned.
11:18 And the nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give reward unto your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the Earth.
JOHN 3:3-8
3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of GOD.
3:4 Nicodemus says unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a man be born of “water” [amniotic fluid] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of GOD.
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
3:7 Marvel not that I said unto you, You must be born again.
3:8 The wind blows where it decides, and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell from where it comes, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
John makes it perfectly clear that every human who has been born a first time, as a physical human, must be “born again” as a spirit being; becoming a “glorified” and perfected version of what each person was, or could have been as a human. None of the countless forms of physical imperfection that cause us to be dissatisfied with our flesh and blood bodies, and should also cause us to desire the perfecting process of the “second birth”, will be in evidence among all who are truly “born again”.
Yet innumerable “Bible teachers” ignore that plain language and offer you an imaginary “Kingdom of God” that is all in your head—your flesh, blood, and bone head. They “mysticise” the Messianic/Christian promises of a transformed World into a “ghost kingdom” that no one can prove exists—especially if one doesn’t obey the simple commandments that will govern the earthly Kingdom after the return of Christ and after the first resurrection in which an innumerable multitude will literally be “born again” as spirit beings who can govern the Kingdom of GOD.
Is the Kingdom of God “Within You”?
LUKE 17:20-37
17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the Kingdom of GOD should come, he answered them and said, The Kingdom of GOD comes not with observation:
17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo [look] here! or, lo there! for, behold, the Kingdom of GOD is within you [Until the day when the Son of Man is revealed as the supernatural Messiah, you will not be able to find the Kingdom of GOD by looking outside of yourself—and you will not find it within yourself either, unless you behave as if you were already part of the future Kingdom—not as a law enforcer; but as a law keeper (see Luke 11:34-41)].
17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it.
17:23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there [the Church is the Kingdom of GOD]: go not after them, nor follow them.
17:24 For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of Man be in his day [the Day of the Lord—the Lord’s Day].
17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.
17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Where ever the Body is, there will the “eagles” (angels) be gathered together [that is not referring to anything but the angel-assisted gathering of resurrected (finally born again) saints from around the World at the time of Christ’s Second Coming.]
MATTHEW 24:27-31
24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the East, and shines even unto the West; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
24:28 For where ever the Body is, there will the “eagles” be gathered together.
24:29 Immediately after the Tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the Earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
24:31 And he shall send his angels [“eagles”] with a great sound of a trumpet [the “seventh trumpet”, also known as the “last trump”], and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven [the atmosphere around the Earth] to the other [not in some “rapture” long before the Tribulation].
REVELATION 2:26
2:26 And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
REVELATION 3:21
3:21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.
REVELATION 20:4
20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of GOD, and which had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
REVELATION 22:5
22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the Sun; for the LORD GOD gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
DANIEL 7:18
7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
DANIEL 7:27
7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
CORINTHIANS 6:1-3
6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? [A “saint” is simply one who believes in the Messiah/Christ—not as the term has been re-defined by the Catholic Church]
6:2 Do you not know that the saints shall judge the World? And if the World shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
6:3 Know you not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?
Before Me, There Was No God Formed
John wrote in explicit detail, within his Gospel and in his letters, what he had experienced and learned as the one disciple most favored by and most loved by the human YAHshua. John personified the attitude and awareness of spirituality that YAHshua is “looking for” in anyone who hopes to please him to the degree that causes him to love them on an emotional level rather than the somewhat obligatory level applied to most humans. It is a simple matter to find evidence throughout the Bible that the Angel of the LORD shows “love” for humans primarily by resisting his GOD-given “instinctive” tendency to judge them from an impersonal and non-empathetic viewpoint.
GOD is “Love” in the sense that the most important defining characteristic of GOD the Father is “love”—not in the sense of an “instinctive” or involuntary emotional response of fondness or warm affection toward anyone—but in the sense of deliberately avoiding making judgments that would probably lead to application of punishment if GOD had nothing better to do than micro-manage the behavior of every human on Earth.
Before all other conscious beings were created, GOD the Unlimited designed and formed a singular Supreme Being who is known as the Angel of the LORD. He was allowed to use His Creator’s name “God”, and was thus the “God” who was with GOD “in the Beginning” in which he was formed. His primary responsibility always has been, and forever will be to judge all design aspects, functions and behavioral capabilities of everything that would be made after himself.
JOHN 1:1-3
1:1 In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was God [not is God].
1:2 The same was in the beginning [of the Word’s conscious history] with GOD.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
EXODUS 23:20-22
23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
23:22 But if you shall indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak [through him]; then I will be an enemy unto your enemies, and an adversary unto your adversaries.
The Angel of the LORD stated clearly, while acting as the God of Israel, that he was the only God formed to personify GOD the Unlimited, who usually dwells in a perpetual state of formless invisibility to all others—though He has no limitation on personally utilizing any of the manifestations He has designed for others.
ISAIAH 43:10-11
43:10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me [yet he himself was formed—which leaves no room for a “third person”—even a formless “third person” in a “trinity”—that’s because the Holy Spirit is not a separate “individual person”—it is GOD’s central, emotional Mind, which He is now beginning to share with those to whom He “gives” Holy Spirit.]
43:11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior [Though GOD the Unlimited (the Father) is the ultimate Savior; He will save most humans only through His Angel].
No human has ever literally seen GOD the Father “in person”—though many literally saw the Angel of the LORD presenting himself visibly as the God of Israel.
EXODUS 24:9-11
24:9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
24:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of Heaven in his clearness.
24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
Read the proclamation of the Angel of the LORD about the LORD GOD the Unlimited, whom he represents, as a supernaturally powerful, but limited, singular personality.
EXODUS 34:5-7
34:5 And the [Angel of the] LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him [Moses] there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD [GOD].
34:6 And the [Angel of the] LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD; the LORD GOD, [the Unlimited]; merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin [which His Angel is not inclined to do (see Exodus 23:21 above)]; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting [avenging] the iniquity [sins] of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation [that does not mean punishing the children and grandchildren for their father’s sins—unless they, as adults, commit the same sins as their fathers—but avenging the evil that affects, or “falls upon” the children and grandchildren when their fathers sin].
YAHshua—who never said that he was “God” while he was human; or after—only saw GOD, his Father, in visions when He, the Father, portrayed YAHshua as a preview, performing the works He would immediately be enabling YAHshua to perform on Earth.
JOHN 1:18
1:18 No man has seen GOD at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
JOHN 5:19-21
5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Truly, truly, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things whatsoever He does, these also does the Son likewise.
5:20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows him [in vision] all things that He himself does: and He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
5:21 For as the Father raises up the dead, and replenishes life to them; even so the Son gives life to whom he will.
1 TIMOTHY 6:13-16
6:13 I give you charge in the sight of GOD, who replenishes life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
6:14 That you keep this commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
6:15 Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
6:16 Who [Christ Jesus] only has immortality [again], dwelling in the light [of GOD the Father] which no man can approach unto; Whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.
COLOSSIANS 1:15-19
1:15 Who is the image of the invisible GOD, the firstborn of every creature:
1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him [by his command of the powers of GOD the Unlimited], and for him:
1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
1:18 And he is the head of the Body, the Church: who is the beginning [of the creation of GOD], the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.
1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;
REVELATION 3:13-14
3:13 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [the Angel of the LORD] says unto the churches.
3:14 And unto the “angel” of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of GOD;
The Angel of the LORD knew of no other God other than himself who was formed as a singular personality, to act as God. The “instinctive nature”, or automated “personality” given to him by GOD the Unlimited was designed to be judgmental, and sometimes unforgiving, yet impartial to all angels and other beings created after him who he would judge through the ages in the name of GOD, who is the Ultimate Creator of all things, and the “only true GOD”.
JOHN 17:1-5
17:1 These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to Heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you:
17:2 As you have given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.
17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know you, the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
17:4 I have glorified you on the Earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do.
17:5 And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own Self; with the glory which I had with you before the World was.
Only the Angel of the LORD GOD has authority from the LORD GOD, the Father to judge other humans with the potential of condemning them to eternal death, meaning annihilation. None of the condemnations of enemies made by the human YAHshua were final judgments that cannot be reversed by GOD. Final judgments will not be determined, or truly “finalized” until after a millennium, or thousand years of potential salvation for all humans who have ever lived.
None of us should ever emulate or imitate the examples of the Angel of the Lord acting as the GOD of Israel with authority from the LORD GOD to punish and destroy those He determined deserved punishment and death as humans. All of them will be resurrected in the future for individual judgments by the Angel of the Lord, in the form of Jesus Christ, with an opportunity to learn about and except eternal salvation. None of us has been given any authority by the LORD GOD to act on His behalf as a religious law enforcer or religious executioner.
All humans should emulate and imitate the examples of peaceful tolerance exhibited by the Angel of the LORD during his human life as YAHshua of Nazareth. YAHshua taught and demonstrated what kind of behavior and attitude GOD the Father expects from all humans who hope to please Him and qualify for continuing eternal life.
JOHN 15:10-12
15:10 If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
15:12 This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.
While human, YAHshua was still authorized to harshly judge and tentatively condemn those who rejected him as the revealer of the “only true GOD”. He was in no way providing an example to other humans, who have no authority to convict others in that manner. All of us are encouraged to emulate GOD the Father who continues to judge all things, but without the objective of discovering reasons to punish or condemn anyone—unlike many religious authoritarians.
JOHN 5:22-23
5:22 For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son:
5:23 That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which has sent him.
MATTHEW 5:43-48
5:43 You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.
5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
5:45 That you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for He makes his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46 For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same?
5:47 And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so?
5:48 Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.
Of course, nobody’s perfect; whatever “perfect” means. But clearly a major part of GOD’s “perfection”, whatever that means; is that He is not “instinctively” judgmental; as is His “Angel Presence”. Being the designer and generator of all “instincts” by means of His universal Spirit; He is not controlled by any “instinct”, but distributes, and can control all inherent or intrinsic behavioral instincts to accomplish His goals.
And a future goal that must be accomplished is the prophecy of the “two Witnesses”. The apostle John, like YAHshua, exhibited an instinctive leaning toward blasting spiritual competitors out of existence (see Luke 9:49-56). And he, along with the original prophet Elijah, will be given power to eliminate any adversaries who attempt to silence them during a forty-two month-long fulfillment of End-Time prophecy.
REVELATION 11:3-5
11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the GOD of the Earth (see Zechariah 4:11-14).
11:5 And if any man will [attempt to] hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies; and if any man will [attempt to] hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
REVELATION 1:13-19
1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle.
1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged “sword”: and his countenance was as the Sun shining in its strength.
1:17 And when I saw him [face-to-face], I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last:
1:18 I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
ISAIAH 11:4
11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the humble of the Earth: and he shall strike the Earth: with the “rod” of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
The Lord YAHshua is portrayed as being able to slay adversaries with a laser-like “sword” emitted from his mouth. Only in today’s scientific World can we visualize that as a literal exhibition of lethal power. The Lord will share that power with the two witnesses, Elijah and John, as needed. Elijah and John will not be held responsible for killing those who threaten their lives. It will be a truly God-given self-defense mechanism that will kill those who threaten them.
Guns are not a “God-given” self-defense mechanism. And those who have used guns to kill others who have supposedly “threatened” them will be held responsible—if not by a civil authority in this World—by the ultimate authority of the Judge who will know what really happened during any event deemed judgeable.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.
1 CORINTHIANS 4:5
4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of GOD.
Some “arsenalists” claim that “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people”. That’s supposed to mean guns are just “harmless” inanimate objects and should not be regulated. Yet they stockpile guns and ammunition believing they will be able to kill “intruders” with those loaded guns; or perhaps a suspicious character near their home who they perceive to be a “threat”. Obviously, guns do kill people when used by people who are willing to kill with them.
But is the illogical claim even relevant in the debate over gun control? How about “Land mines don’t kill people. People kill people”? Every day, people are “gainfully employed” legally manufacturing the latest and “most highly developed” “anti-personnel” mines for the purpose of killing or maiming other people they’ll never see or know; probably half way around the World.
Unlike IED’s (“improvised explosive devices”) made by those seeking revenge, who hope to actually see how much mayhem they can inflict on invading armed forces; the professionally manufactured devices remain “harmless” and unable to do anything “by themselves” with no human involvement—until they explode and rip the arms, or legs, or faces off of children who accidently set one off—maybe years after the “military personnel” who buried them have forgotten where they buried them and are safe at home.
Or what do you think of the “clever” slogan—“Atomic bombs don’t kill people. People kill people.”? If that’s true, then apparently, it was only the “roomful of people” who created, authorized the use of, and dropped two Atomic bombs on hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians—after WW2 was essentially over—who personally killed over 200,000 blameless men, women, and children with horrific atomic fire and radiation. Were they held accountable; or were they “hero-ized” for keeping the war “over there”?
But “If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns”. No one is suggesting “outlawing” all artillery weapons carried by “law enforcement” officers; and they are not “outlaws”—most of the time. Although some law enforcement officers have gotten themselves into trouble during wild, uncontrolled gun battles with suspects—or gun “battles” with unarmed people they thought were suspects.
Most agree that children should not be allowed to possess and carry firearms. Even if a child was allowed to acquire a license to “legally” carry a loaded firearm for “protection” against all perceived threats to his safety, would it be worth the risk that the child might kill or maim someone while frantically “protecting” himself? Most would say, No.
It is assumed that children don’t have the maturity to decide if or when it might be appropriate to use “lethal force”—which is almost never! And all of human history proves that most “adults” also do not have the maturity to decide if or when it is appropriate to use lethal force—especially World “leaders” who create unnecessary wars of aggression in “foreign countries” under the pretext, or pretense of SELF defense—primarily defense of their own SELF and position of authority—although they call it “national defense”. But you can’t defend your own nation while attacking and destabilizing other nations!
The only thing that will truly prevent World “leaders” from using military force inappropriately, is lack of access to lethal force—which is the reason children, and most World “leaders” should not be given unregulated access to guns, drones, or other weapons of mass destruction—even though weapons of mass destruction don’t kill people. People kill people.
Sadly, some World “leaders” are able to “battle” (or buy) their way into positions of political dominance (not leadership) which sometimes include a degree of “control” over an existing military establishment; but those inexperienced political “leaders” rarely learn to manipulate such control other than to protect and further their own interests.
ISAIAH 2:3-4
2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob [Israel]; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
When “swords” are outlawed after the return of the Messiah/Christ, no one will be saying that “only outlaws have swords”. No one will need “swords”, or any other armaments, because nations will not be allowed to devote their resources to learning war anymore—or teaching war to any other nations who will pay for the “training”; and for the weaponry sold by the teachers of war.
MATTHEW 26:51-52
26:51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus [Peter] stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the High Priest's, and struck off his ear.
26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again your sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall [will very likely] perish with the sword.
REVELATION 13:9-10
13:9 If any man [still] have an ear [that Peter hasn’t cut off], let him hear.
13:10 He [the Anti-Christ] that leads into captivity shall go into captivity. He that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. [Don’t try to do the Lord’s job—which is to be the only Avenger.]
ROMANS 12:18-21
12:18 If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men.
12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.
12:20 Therefore if your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.
12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
REVELATION 19:19-21
19:19 And I saw the Beast, and the kings of the Earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him [the Messiah/Christ] that sat on the horse, and against his army.
19:20 And the Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
19:21 And the remnant were slain with the “sword” of him that sat upon the horse, which “sword” proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Amazingly, most nations on Earth are already beginning to devote more of their resources to the creative production of goods and services for themselves, and for export to other nations, rather than waste them on the destructive production and proliferation of armaments. But some national “leaders” and their followers never learn!
No one will ever be able to “outlaw” all guns in the United States as long as weapons are one of its most profitable exports. And even if all guns could be “outlawed”, it would not cause guns to disappear. It is “easy” access to guns that multiplies the risk that some of them will be used to kill and maim innocent victims.
Yet some imagine that “If everyone had a gun; everyone would be safer”. Safer from what? No one would be safer from the risk of being killed or maimed by the “stray bullets” that didn’t hit that bogus “omnipresent boogeyman” that paranoid arsenalists are always preparing to kill with one shot between the eyes—in their “heroic” fantasies.
Guns should be heavily regulated and controlled because their primary purpose is to kill people (or innocent animals, birds, reptiles, and even fish)—although they usually don’t accomplish that by themselves because they require a “nimrod” to load them, “aim” them (if there’s time), and pull the trigger.
But since guns supposedly never harm anyone “on their own”; it is actually people who are determined to kill all personal “threats” (or other living targets) with them who should be heavily regulated and controlled—for the protection of the vast un-armed majority of “American people”; all of whom are at risk of being killed or maimed by a wild fusillade of bullets fired by a scared and panicked gun-owner trying to “protect” his own SELF, with no concern about others.
Please read my lengthy Presentation, GUNOLATRY. . . the worship of the gun-god by "American Arsenalists"
The following is an excerpt (quoting myself):
Even after considerable standardization of the design of what became known as a "rifle", rather than a "musket", or "firelock", the so-called "minute-men" who had maximum access to the "firing accoutrements", and the youngest eyes, could barely hit the "broad side of a barn", although they probably hit the "broad side" of many poor horses, cows, pigs, and other creatures that got in the way of their stray bullets.
The term "bullets" is derived from "ballettes", meaning "small balls"—not to be confused with "ballets" performed by men wearing leotards who dance on their toes; which could be confused with the minute-men wearing skin-tight pants who were always "on their toes" being careful not to get "hoisted" or blown-up by their own "petard", the small explosive charges used with their small balls and muskets.
The Militia musketeers were required by the Militia Act of 1796 to ensure that the length and bores of their muskets were appropriate for the size of their small balls, "boulettes", or "bullets".
"from and after five years from the passing of this Act, all muskets from arming the Militia as is herein required, shall be of bores sufficient for balls of the eighteenth part of a pound; and every citizen so enrolled, and providing himself with the arms, ammunition and accoutrements . . .
When they weren't satisfied by just "shooting their wads", or their "ram-rods" when they forgot to remove one after using it to ram a wad down the barrel, they would sometimes get to have a "ball", but were often accused of wasting ammunition if they ever got a chance to practice, or "exercise" their shooting acumen. And their lack of skill continually demonstrated to the "King's troops" that they weren't to be feared because of their marksmanship—if anything else.
The Connection Between Gunolatry and Idolatry
Throughout that educational Presentation I attempt to connect arsenalists’ “worship” and devotion to the preservation of guns with ancient worship and devotion to the preservation of man-made idols. But remember—idols don’t harm people. The devils behind the idols harm people.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:19-20
10:19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to GOD: and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils.
PSALMS 106:36-39
106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
106:37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a “whoring” with their own inventions [warmongering—the selling of weapons of war].
Substitute the word “guns”, or “arms” for “idols”. Then think about how the national love of, or lust for, “arms” and “armaments”, from too many in America, has resulted in the bloody sacrificing of countless sons and daughters—from both sides of every war. Yet, for some reason, America’s wars are always “over there”—since the last time there was a “Civil” War in America. Who is deciding where America’s offensive wars will take place?
Here is a series of similar words. Try to see why they are similar.
Baal—bull—balls—boulettes—bullets—projectiles explosively discharged from phallus-shaped “bullets”, or cartridges, sometimes resulting in a new death—“balls” create the “projectiles” (sperm) in semen “explosively” discharged from a “bullet”-shaped phallus, sometimes resulting in a new life. As has been said before—Make “love”—not war (even if it’s to yourself).
The following definition is from TheFreeDictionary:
bul•let
A usually metal projectile in the shape of a pointed cylinder or a ball that is expelled from a firearm, especially a rifle or handgun.
Such a projectile in a metal casing; a cartridge.
An object resembling a projectile in shape, action, or effect.
[French boulette, diminutive of boule, ball, from Old French, from Latin bulla.]
To those to whom it applies . . . If you think that’s a load of B.S. (buckshot)—or just think it’s nasty nonsense; check your logic. It may be missing in action. And don’t spend too much time polishing the barrel of your pistol while fantasizing about shooting it in the face of the one armed bandit trying to enter from the front. There may be another armed assailant trying to come in your back door.
What you’ve just read is what I call “serious satire”; though you may not think it’s satire; or that I was being serious.
John—The Apostle of Love
John should be known as the “apostle of love”. His main effort toward the end of his first century ministry among the churches of GOD, especially those in Asia Minor, was to minimize the growth of hostile conflicts between Christians who could not agree on what the “Old” scriptures said, or on what the new Revelation was saying.
The Revelation, given in 60 A.D., was the first published extension and expansion of “Old” prophecies that were actually “given by inspiration of GOD”. Some especially hated the harsh messages in the Revelation which John said were the Lord’s personal opinion of them—which they were.
We should follow the guidance of the apostle John in regard to what GOD’s will is, and what advanced Messianic/Christian doctrine should be. Hostile arguments about what scripture means, and use of scriptures to support condemnation of other “believers”, or “non-believers” is not GOD’s will. Scripture is supposed to be profitable for doctrine that illuminates GOD’s plans and will for humanity, which is to save all humans by bringing them to a knowledge of the truth.
1 TIMOTHY 2:3-6
2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of GOD our Savior;
2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2:5 For there is one GOD, and one mediator between GOD and men, the man Christ Jesus;
2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Inspired scripture is supposed to be profitable for your own personal reproof and instruction in righteousness. The Bible should not be used as a “projectile” when you would like to “throw the Book” at someone you have judged to be unrighteous and not as “holy as thyself”.
No scriptures were given by inspiration of GOD to be used to justify your own condemning judgments of others. Don’t provide GOD with evidence that could eventually be used to condemn you, such as the final published “works” of Martin Luther, which were vile and bombastic rants against Jews in general—simply because they were Jews!
MATTHEW 6:14-15
6:14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you:
6:15 But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
MATTHEW 7:1-2
7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged.
7:2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete [measure out], it shall be measured to you again.
The scriptures do not support or justify self-righteous judgmentalism toward other humans—they condemn it. And if a person continues to exercise self-righteous judgmentalism toward others throughout his life, he risks condemnation by the only one who has ever been authorized by GOD to administer condemnation, or damnation. Unjust punishers will be punished justly.
LUKE 6:36-37
6:36 Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
6:37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.
Hidden Passages
Approach “all scripture” as having potential for being considered inspired revelation from GOD. You will be able to easily dismiss many “scriptures” as having little discernible usefulness for anything. But don’t dismiss “all scripture” as being uninspired and unprofitable. If you do you will miss what is.
Keep searching for the “pearls of wisdom” that can be found within the scriptural “dead oysters” that surround them. You may discover “pearls of wisdom” that everyone else has missed and enjoy stringing them together for the whole World to admire.
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